KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has questioned the Pakistan Cricket Board’s sweeping changes to the national Test set-up, asking whether captain Babar Azam could be the “next target” following the removal of coaches and several players.
Latif raised concerns after the PCB released red-ball coaches Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul ahead of the third and final Test against England at Edgbaston from September 9 to 13.
“If the team had to be run by remote control, then why were Sarfaraz and Umar Gul sent?” Latif questioned on X.
He also asked why the selection powers of former Pakistan coaches Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie had previously been curtailed.
Latif argued that if Babar had not been following team instructions, the appropriate response would have been to remove him as captain rather than make repeated changes elsewhere.
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“And if captain Babar Azam wasn’t listening, the captain should have been sacked — so why were Sarfaraz and Umar Gul sent back instead? Is Babar Azam the next target?” he asked.
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Latif’s remarks come amid major changes following Pakistan’s disappointing Test series in England.
Pakistan suffered an innings-and-103-run defeat at Leeds before losing the second Test at Lord’s by 194 runs, giving England an unassailable 2-0 series lead.
Following the defeats, the PCB released seven players from the Test squad and brought in seven replacements, including five uncapped cricketers.
The board also removed Sarfaraz and Gul from their red-ball coaching roles for the final Test, replacing them with white-ball head coach Mike Hesson and bowling coach Ashley Noffke.
The changes have already drawn criticism from several former cricketers, who have questioned the lack of continuity and stability surrounding Pakistan’s Test side.
Latif’s comments have now put the spotlight directly on Babar’s position as Pakistan prepares for the final Test at Edgbaston.
