Pietersen jokes about Babar Azam after Pakistan overhaul following Lord's defeat

Kevin Pietersen mocked Pakistan captain Babar Azam on September 1, 2026, after England's 194-run win at Lord's and the Pakistan Cricket Board's sweeping changes ahead of the third Test in Birmingham. Pietersen made the comments on X amid a raft of squad and coaching adjustments that followed the Lord's loss.

England's victory at Lord's gave them a 2-0 lead in the three-Test series, and Pakistan's batting collapse — dismissed for 110 in the first innings and later scoring 194 while chasing 389 — preceded the selection shake-up. Pietersen shared his joke on X, writing: "When a captain is interviewed before every game, the interviewer asks about changes in their team. Could be a v v v v long interview for my buddy, Babar! Maybe the toss should start the night before??"

The PCB released seven players from the squad after the Lord's defeat: Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad.

The board named seven replacements and noted that five of them have yet to make their Test debuts. Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal return with Test experience, while Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran and Razaullah were added to the squad. The full Pakistan squad for Birmingham was listed as: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicket-keeper), Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah.

Changes extended to the coaching setup, with Test head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul relieved of their duties. Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke were appointed to take charge in Birmingham; Hesson is already working as Pakistan's white-ball head coach.

Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja criticised the scale and timing of the overhaul, comparing it to a football manager being removed midway through a season, saying he was surprised by the decision and accusing the PCB of pressing the "panic button" after the first two Tests.

Pakistan travel to Birmingham for the third Test, which begins on September 9, with England already having secured the series; Babar and the revamped squad have one final opportunity to prevent a 3-0 whitewash.