Pakistan Cricket Board dismisses coach and sends seven players home ahead of third Test in England
On Monday, August 31, 2026, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced it had released head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and sent seven members of its touring Test squad home ahead of the third and final Test of the series in England.
The PCB confirmed that Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad were removed from the squad and replaced by Saim Ayub, Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Saad Baig, Muhammad Randhawa, Razaullah and Muhammad Imran Jnr. Bowling coach Umar Gul was also released and the board named Mike Hesson as head coach and Ashley Noffke as bowling coach. The changes followed heavy defeats in the first two Tests at Leeds and Lord's.
The seven departing players were formally released by the PCB on August 31, 2026, the board said, with the seven newcomers to join the touring party ahead of the final Test. The third and final Test of the series is scheduled to begin on September 9. The PCB statement outlined the immediate personnel changes without providing further selection commentary.
Coaching replacements were named in the same announcement: Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul were replaced by Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke, respectively. The board made the coaching changes concurrently with the squad alterations. The move followed Pakistan’s defeats in the opening two Tests at Leeds and Lord’s.
Of the seven incoming players, five have prior international experience while two — Muhammad Randhawa and Razaullah — are listed as yet to represent Pakistan at any level. Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal have played eight and two Tests respectively, and Arafat Minhas has played three ODIs and four T20Is for Pakistan.
The new arrivals also include left-arm fast bowler Muhammad Imran Jnr and wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig; Saad Baig was named Player of the Tournament in the 2025-26 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. The PCB’s description also identified right-arm pace-bowling all-rounders Muhammad Imran, also known as Imran Randhawa, and Razaullah among the additions.
The Pakistan squad list published by the PCB for the final Test in Birmingham includes Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah.
The PCB said the seven replacement players will join the Pakistan squad ahead of the third Test in Birmingham, which is set to begin on September 9.
