LAHORE: In a sweeping and unprecedented overhaul, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday wielded the axe on seven players, head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed, and bowling coach Umar Gul, signaling a complete reset as the embattled side fights to salvage pride in the third and final Test against England at Edgbaston starting September 9.
🚨 Pakistan Make Major Changes to Test Squad Ahead of Third England Test
Pakistan have released seven players following the Lord’s Test, with seven replacements named for the upcoming Birmingham Test.
Meanwhile, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul have also been released. pic.twitter.com/GrpOkLCahZ
— Sports Side (@TheSportsSide1) August 31, 2026
The mass culling comes after Pakistan’s dismal showing in the first two Tests of the series, where they suffered a humiliating innings-and-103-run defeat at Leeds followed by a 194-run thrashing at Lord’s, leaving the visitors staring down the barrel of a series whitewash.
Read Also: Pakistan’s Test Losses Surpass Wins for First Time in Nearly Four Decades
Seven players and two coaches shown the door as PCB rings in youth
The PCB confirmed that opening batters Imam-ul-Haq and Awais Zafar, wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, all-rounders Salman Ali Agha and Aamir Jamal, left-arm spinner Ali Usman, and pacer Khurram Shahzad have all been released from the squad.
🚨 BIG CHANGES FOR 3RD TEST VS ENGLAND 🇵🇰
OUT:
Mohammad Rizwan
Imam-ul-Haq
Salman Ali Agha
Ali Usman
Aamir Jamal
Muhammad Awais Zafar
Khurram ShahzadIN:
Saim Ayub
Abdullah Fazal
Arafat Minhas
Mohammad Imran Jnr
Saad Baig
Mohammad Imran
RazaullahBACKROOM STAFF:
Sarfaraz Ahmed… pic.twitter.com/UsEkH9Q5YJ— Talha Nawaz (@TalhaDigital007) August 31, 2026
In their place, the board has turned to domestic performers, bringing in top-order duo Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, all-rounders Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran, and Razaullah, pacer Mohammad Imran Jr, and emerging wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig, who won the Player of the Tournament award in this year’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
Coaching staff overhauled as Hesson takes charge
In a move that has sent shockwaves through Pakistan cricket, head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul have also been relieved of their duties. White-ball head coach Mike Hesson will take over the reins for the final Test, assisted by Ashley Noffke as bowling coach.
The potential involvement of Hesson had been the subject of intense speculation, and his elevation to the Test setup now casts a long shadow over the future direction of Pakistan’s red-ball coaching structure.
Read Also: England Thrash Pakistan by 194 Runs at Lord’s to Clinch Test Series
New faces, new hopes
The revamped 16-man squad, led by captain Babar Azam, now features a blend of emerging talent and experienced campaigners, including Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, and Ubaid Shah.
These sweeping changes signal a clear shift in focus towards the future, as Pakistan desperately seeks a positive result at Edgbaston to avoid a humiliating 3-0 clean sweep at the hands of England.
🚨 PAKISTAN SQUAD FOR THE 3RD TEST VS ENGLAND 🚨
– Babar Azam (c)
– Saim Ayub
– Shan Masood
– Abdullah Fazal
– Arafat Minhas
– Azan Awais
– Muhammad Abbas
– Mohammad Ali
– Muhammad Imran Randhawa
– Mohammad Imran Jnr
– Ghazi Ghori(wk)
– Razaullah
– Saad Baig(wk)
– Sajid Khan
-… pic.twitter.com/UvBfDXEhPy— Talha Nawaz (@TalhaDigital007) August 31, 2026
Updated Pakistan Squad for Third Test Against England
Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Razaullah, Saad Baig (wk), Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, Ubaid Shah
