ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan pushed the panic button after heavy defeats in the two cricket tests in England by replacing seven players and two coaches on Monday.
Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were summoned home by the Pakistan Cricket Board to be replaced by white-ball head coach Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke respectively for the third and final test in Birmingham starting on Sept. 9.
Wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, injured opening batter Imam-ul-Haq, first test captain Salman Ali Agha, spinner Ali Usman and pacer Khurram Shahzad — who all played in the second test defeat at Lord’s on Sunday — were also returning home. Allrounder Aamir Jamal and batter Awais Zafar were going with them without getting a game in England.
Imam’s torn calf drew criticism in Pakistan media, especially from former chief selector Mohammad Wasim. Imam suffered the low grade injury in the field on the first day at Lord’s and didn’t play in the rest of the match.
However, after Wasim’s criticism, Imam appeared in the outfield on Sunday before the fourth day’s play but was visibly limping as he shadow-batted with his left calf heavily strapped.
Rizwan’s overambitious shot selections against England, including his attempted slog against Ollie Robinson on Sunday that trapped him lbw, led to his axing.
Pakistan’s dismal run in red-ball cricket continued during Ahmed’s short tenure of around three months as the team lost five of its six away matches — two in Bangladesh, one in the West Indies and two in England.
Babar Azam’s second stint as test captain also couldn’t turn around the test results after Pakistan sacked Shan Masood in May. Babar drew with the West Indies 1-1 but England has an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Pakistan has lost 10 of its last 11 away tests.
A finger injury ruled out Babar from the first test in Leeds and Agha led the side but he was dropped for the second test.
Pakistan has yet to cross the 200-run mark in four innings of the series, losing by an innings and 103 runs in Leeds and by 194 run at Lord’s.
The selectors recalled opening batter Saim Ayub, who has played eight tests, and Abdullah Fazal, who was pulled out of the England tour when he was injured in the West Indies.
The five uncapped players traveling to England included spin allrounder Arafat Minhas, fast bowler Mohammad Imran Jr., wicketkeeper Saad Baig, and fast bowling allrounders Mohammad Imran and Razaullah.
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