4 hrs ago
Aaqib backs Hesson as Pakistan overhaul Test squad
Pakistan has already lost its Test series against England.
The team was beaten badly in the first two matches.
The Pakistan Cricket Board then changed many players and coaches.
Mike Hesson will now help lead the Test team with captain Babar Azam.
Several new players have been added to the squad.
Aaqib Javed said the team may not win immediately because so many changes were made.
He also said Pakistan needed faster bowlers and an all-rounder.
Aaqib questioned how serious Imam-ul-Haq’s calf injury was and called for an explanation.
Former captain Misbah-ul-Haq also resigned from the selection committee, although the board has not accepted it.
Pakistan lost the first two Tests against England by an innings and 194 runs.
The Pakistan Cricket Board released seven players and removed Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul.
Mike Hesson will share Test leadership responsibilities with captain Babar Azam.
Five uncapped players joined Pakistan’s squad for the third Test at Edgbaston.
Aaqib Javed questioned Imam-ul-Haq’s calf injury and said it required an inquiry.
- Who
- Pakistan’s Test team, captain Babar Azam, coach Mike Hesson, selector Aaqib Javed, Imam-ul-Haq and the Pakistan Cricket Board are central to the story.
- What
- Pakistan overhauled its Test squad and coaching structure after losing the first two Tests against England, while Aaqib Javed backed Hesson and questioned Imam-ul-Haq’s injury.
- Where
- The third Test will be played at Edgbaston in England. Misbah-ul-Haq’s batting-consultant role was based at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
- When
- The third and final Test is scheduled to begin on September 9; the changes followed Pakistan’s second-Test defeat.
- Why
- The Pakistan Cricket Board made the changes after heavy defeats and Pakistan’s failure to compete in the opening two Tests.
Key facts
- Series position
- England leads Pakistan 2-0 in the three-Test series.
- First two defeats
- Pakistan lost the opening Test by an innings and the second by 194 runs.
- Squad departures
- Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad were released.
- New additions
- Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Razaullah were added, alongside Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal.
- Leadership change
- Mike Hesson, Pakistan’s white-ball head coach, received additional Test responsibility alongside captain Babar Azam.
- Misbah resignation
- Misbah-ul-Haq resigned from the national selection committee and decided to leave his batting-consultant role; the Pakistan Cricket Board has not accepted the resignation.
- World Test Championship
- Pakistan sits at the bottom of the World Test Championship 2025-27 standings.
Quotes
Aaqib Javed
Former Pakistan cricketer and national selector
“Let us see how Babar and Mike work together. It is difficult to see us getting a result in one match, but people should see we still have talent,” he added.”
thestatesman.com
Sources
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