‘Laughing stock’: Pakistan bombshell as SEVEN players – and coach – brutally axed mid-tour

Pakistan have replaced head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and pace-bowling chief Umar Gul, and sent seven players home, in a dramatic response to successive Test thrashings by England.

The tourists suffered an innings and 103-run loss in the series opener at Headingley before going down by 194 runs at Lord’s on Sunday as England took an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match campaign.

The team has been labelled one of Pakistan’s worst and the Pakistan Cricket Board has taken drastic action ahead of the third Test at Edgbaston starting on September 9.

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“The Pakistan Cricket Board has today announced that seven players have been released from the Test squad following completion of the Lord’s Test,” said a PCB statement Monday.

“The players include Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad.

“Additionally, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul have also been released and will be replaced by Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke in the backroom staff.”

New Zealander Hesson was already Pakistan’s white-ball chief, and, with Australian Noffke, will take charge for the rest of the tour.

Of the players, Rizwan, Imam, Usman and Shahzad all featured against England at Lord’s, while Salman captained the team with Babar Azam sidelined due to injury in the first Test at Headingley before being dropped for the second.

Opener Imam suffered a low-grade calf tear at Lord’s.

He received criticism for not batting in either innings, as well as for a painful series of throwdowns he received on the outfield before play on Day 4 that was slammed as “all for show” by England great Stuart Broad.

Experienced wicketkeeper Rizwan, spinner Usman and seamer Shahzad played in both games, with Rizwan receiving criticism over a number of reckless dismissals throughout the tour.

Usman bagged a five-wicket haul in Leeds, while his series average of 25.17 is the second-lowest of any touring specialist spinner in a series in England since Muttiah Muralitharan in 2006.

Among the seven players called up, five are uncapped.

Batters Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal have played Test cricket, but fast bowlers Razaullah Khan and Mohammad Imran, left-arm spinner Arafat Minhas and wicketkeepers Said Baig and Rohail Nazir are looking to make their debuts.

The shock mass axing has sent shockwaves through Pakistan cricket, with former great Shahid Afridi taking to social media to express his dismay.

“Not sure what is the logic or reasoning behind this decision!” Afridi wrote on X.

“Even the replacements make no sense – T20 players have been included for a Test match in England?

“What is this thinking and approach? Why has the coach been axed after 5 Test matches?

“This is the most shocking decision ever by a selection committee which includes so many experienced selectors.”

Former England great Kevin Pietersen was in similar disbelief while English scribe Lawrence Booth took to X to describe the situation as a “shambles”.

Cricket writer Saj Sadiq claimed players learned of their axing online rather than from selectors, describing it as “disgusting” and “unprofessional”.

Sadiq added in a follow-up post: “With each passing day Pakistan cricket is becoming a bigger laughing stock.

“Once a proud cricketing nation competing amongst the top teams, Pakistan has become a joke due to poor decisions again and again from incompetent people running cricket in the country.”

Pakistan arrived in London already bottom of the World Test Championship table, with defeat at Lord’s their 15th loss in 20 Tests and tenth away from home in 11 games.

They have yet to make the benchmark total of 200 in four innings in England, although they did come close on Sunday, with 194 featuring Saud Shakeel’s 97.

Mohammad Abbas, who took nine wickets across the second Test, said Sunday: “Our performance is a concern for everyone. Everyone is worried.

“We’re not doing well, we accept that. We’re not batting, bowling or fielding well and we discuss this all the time in meetings.”

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