Former Pakistan cricketer and Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ramiz Raja has admitted he is at a loss to defend the state of Pakistan cricket after seven players and two coaches were removed mid-tour during the ongoing Test series in England in 2026. The sweeping changes came after Pakistan lost the first two Tests heavily, going 2-0 down ahead of the third Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham on September 9.
The seven players sent home mid-tour were Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad. Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were also removed. Mike Hesson was appointed as the replacement head coach, while Ashley Noffke came in as the new bowling coach. Seven replacement players, namely Saim Ayub, Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Saad Baig, Muhammad Randhawa, Razaullah and Muhammad Imran Jnr, were called up to the squad.
“I mean, unprecedented, really. I don’t know how to defend this because you can’t; it’s unfortunate. But the situation is before you, and I just hope that the players are mentally in sync with what needs to be done,” Raja said on BBC Test Match Special.
🗣 “I don’t know how to defend this because you can’t.”
Ramiz Raja speaks about the current situation for Pakistan, who turn up to the third and final Test with a vastly different squad and a new head coach. pic.twitter.com/YqumpYiK8W
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) September 9, 2026
Why did Pakistan make such sweeping mid-tour changes?
Pakistan‘s first two Test defeats were heavy. They lost the first Test at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs, and the second at Lord’s by 194 runs. The scale of those defeats prompted the Pakistan Cricket Board to act immediately, removing senior players and the coaching staff before the third Test.
Chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq resigned after he was not consulted on the squad changes. As of September 1, 2026, the PCB had not accepted his resignation. The decisions were made without informing key figures within the setup, adding to the sense of disorder around the team.
How did the changes affect captain Babar Azam?
Pakistan captain Babar Azam learned of the squad changes not from the PCB directly, but from media reports and relatives. The lack of communication from the board to its own captain drew significant attention and added to the criticism of how the decisions were handled. Raja addressed Babar’s situation directly. The third Test at Edgbaston will be the first match for the revamped Pakistan squad under these circumstances.
“It’s going to be a tough gig for Babar Azam. He probably didn’t know what was happening around him as well. And for a captain, really, to hear the news from relatives and from media, it’s just demoralising,” Raja said.
