Pakistan captain Babar Azam has revealed that he was completely blindsided by the Pakistan Cricket Board’s decision to overhaul the national squad ahead of the final Test against England. Speaking on Tuesday, the eve of the match at Edgbaston, Babar admitted that the sweeping changes were “news to me” and that he only became aware of the situation after the board issued an official statement.
The captain suggested that inquiries regarding the rationale behind the cull should be directed toward the PCB. He noted that the board likely reached its decision following a specific internal process, though he remained excluded from the deliberations. The drastic measures follow heavy defeats at Leeds and Lord’s, which prompted the board to send seven players home and dismiss head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed along with his assistant, Umar Gul.
In response to the leadership void, the PCB has appointed white-ball coach Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke to oversee the team for the Edgbaston clash. The squad has been bolstered by five players who currently lack any prior Test experience. Despite the upheaval, Babar is framing the situation as an opportunity for the younger members of the side to demonstrate their capabilities on the international stage.
Babar, who missed the innings defeat at Headingley due to a finger injury and struggled with scores of 8 and 6 at Lord’s, emphasized that the team must move past previous failures. “The series is lost but we have nothing to lose,” he stated, urging his teammates to play with freedom. He noted that none of the current squad members, including himself, have previously played a Test match at the Edgbaston venue.
Meanwhile, England captain Joe Root pushed back against suggestions that Pakistan has lacked fight during the series, labeling such claims “disrespectful.” Root argued that England’s dominance is a result of their own high-level performance and quick adaptation to surfaces rather than a lack of effort from the opposition. He maintained that it is reductive to categorize one team as poor when the other has performed exceptionally well.
Addressing his own form, Root acknowledged that he has faced a challenging summer with the bat, averaging 29.44 across five Tests. He has been dismissed lbw nine times during his last seven outings and has struggled against the wicketkeeper standing up to the stumps. Despite these hurdles, the England skipper remains optimistic, viewing the difficult conditions as a chance to improve and perform for his country.
“You’re always looking to find ways of improving and there’s always going to be something to contend with,” Root said. He added that while he has found the current conditions tricky, he believes the challenge is the most enjoyable part of the game. He encouraged a mindset focused on seizing the moment to achieve something special rather than worrying about potential failures. The report also notes that so they will be able to explain better, the PCB decided it. The report also notes that we should play freely and believe in ourselves as a team.”. The report also notes that where Pakistan lost by 194 runs, he missed the innings loss at Headingley because of a finger injury and made only 8 and 6 at Lord’.
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