Pakistan Release Seven Players and Sack Two Coaches Before Birmingham Test

The releases came after the Lord’s Test, where Pakistan lost by 194 runs to fall 2-0 down in the series. Some of the released players had featured heavily across the first two Tests. Others, including several uncapped members of the touring party, were sent home without playing a match.

Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq are the most prominent names among those released. Rizwan has been Pakistan’s first-choice wicketkeeper across formats for several years. Imam’s departure follows the calf injury that ruled him out of the second innings at Lord’s, an injury that has separately drawn scrutiny after former chief selector Mohammad Wasim questioned whether it was genuine.

Salman Ali Agha’s release is notable given his position in the squad hierarchy only weeks earlier. He captained Pakistan in the first Test at Headingley in Babar Azam’s absence, was dropped from the XI once Babar returned for Lord’s, and has now been released from the squad entirely before the third Test.

Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad complete the list of released players.

Seven Players Added Before Birmingham Test

The PCB has brought in seven replacements, five of them uncapped at Test level and two with prior Test experience.

Saim Ayub has played eight Tests and returns to the squad after a period out through injury. Abdullah Fazal has two Test caps. Arafat Minhas has represented Pakistan in three ODIs and four T20Is but has yet to make his Test debut. Mohammad Imran Jnr is a left-arm fast bowler. Saad Baig is a wicketkeeper-batter who was named Player of the Tournament in the 2025-26 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. Mohammad Imran, known as Imran Randhawa, is a right-arm pace bowling all-rounder. Razaullah completes the group of replacements.

The presence of two specialist wicketkeepers among the seven additions, Saad Baig and Muhammad Ghazi Ghori already in the squad, is one of the clearer signals in a squad list that otherwise leaves plenty of room for interpretation.

Pakistan’s Updated Test Squad for Birmingham

The full 17-player squad named for the third Test:

Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Abdullah Shafique, 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, Ubaid Shah.

This is the touring party, not a confirmed playing XI. Pakistan’s team management will name their final eleven closer to the toss at Edgbaston.

Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul Released as Coaching Staff Changes

Alongside the playing squad, the PCB has released Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul from their coaching roles. Mike Hesson, previously Pakistan’s white-ball head coach, and Ashley Noffke, a former Australia seamer, have been brought into the setup.

Reports have suggested several of the squad and coaching decisions were made on Hesson’s recommendation, though this has not been confirmed as an official PCB explanation and should be treated as reporting rather than established fact.

Why Has PCB Made Such Major Changes?

The PCB has not issued a detailed public explanation tying each specific change to a specific cause. What is confirmed is the timing: the changes came immediately after the Lord’s defeat and immediately before the third Test, affecting both the playing squad and the coaching structure in the same announcement.

Several released players had already featured across the series. Others were sent home without playing. The coaching staff changed mid-series rather than at a natural break point between tours. Taken together, that timing has been read by many observers as a response to results, even without an official PCB statement confirming performance as the sole factor.

What is not disputed is the scale. Seven players released, seven added, two coaches replaced, all before a dead-rubber Test in a series Pakistan have already lost 2-0.

Former Cricketers React to Pakistan’s Test Squad Shake-Up

The scale of the changes has drawn reaction from current and former players across the cricket world.

• Former England captain Kevin Pietersen expressed disbelief at the extent of the changes, questioning the number of players being sent home from a touring squad mid-series.
• Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif pointed to a broader pattern of instability in Pakistan cricket beyond this single squad announcement, citing recurring changes to domestic structures, national camps, captaincy and selection policy, and arguing that the issues run deeper than the players currently in or out of the squad.
• Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle highlighted the unusual sequence of events: Salman Agha captained the side in the first Test, was subsequently dropped from the XI, and has now been released from the squad entirely, while the senior wicketkeeper and the coaching staff changed in the same period.
• Former Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur criticised what he described as constant chopping and changing across players, coaches and selectors, arguing that Pakistan cricket lacks the stability needed to build a settled Test side.
• Former captain Shahid Afridi questioned the selection logic behind bringing in players more associated with white-ball cricket for a Test series in English conditions, and separately asked why the head coach was removed after only five Tests in charge.
• Former captain Ramiz Raja described the changes as Pakistan hitting the panic button, and questioned what guarantee this scale of turnover actually provides for improved results.

None of these reactions represent PCB’s official reasoning. They reflect how the scale and timing of the changes has been read across the cricket world.

The Ali Usman Question

Ali Usman’s release has drawn particular attention given his recent record. Across his first-class career he has bowled 1,957.5 overs for 204 wickets, including 13 five-wicket hauls and five ten-wicket match hauls. At Test level he has taken 12 wickets in four matches, including a five-wicket haul at Headingley in the first Test of this series.

Some criticism has drawn a contrast between that record and the first-class bowling numbers of Arafat Minhas, one of the players brought in as a replacement. This comparison is part of the broader debate around the squad changes rather than proof that the decision was objectively incorrect. Selection involves factors beyond raw statistics, including conditions, team balance and long-term planning, none of which PCB has detailed publicly in this case.

What Could the Changes Mean for the Birmingham Test?

Several selection questions open up as a result of the new squad, though none of the following should be read as a confirmed playing XI.

Saim Ayub could return to the side having recovered from injury, adding a batting option with prior Test experience. Abdullah Fazal, with two Test caps already, could come into contention for a middle-order or top-order role depending on team balance. Saad Baig’s inclusion sets up a genuine contest for the wicketkeeping gloves alongside Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, with Rizwan no longer in the squad. Arafat Minhas’s specific skill set may affect how Pakistan balance their bowling attack and all-rounder options. Sajid Khan’s place in the XI could become a live selection question depending on how many spin options Pakistan choose to field. Shan Masood’s position in the batting order may also come under scrutiny depending on the final combination named.

The selection could depend heavily on Edgbaston’s pitch and weather conditions closer to the toss, which will likely shape team balance more than any single name in the squad list.

Pakistan’s Third Test Against England: What Happens Next

Pakistan have already lost the series 2-0 heading into Edgbaston. The third Test carries no series outcome to fight for, but it is now the first assignment for a substantially reshaped squad and a new coaching pairing in Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke.

How Pakistan’s new-look side performs at Edgbaston will be read, fairly or not, as an early signal of whether this round of changes addresses the issues raised across the tour, or adds to the list of reactive decisions former players have been describing throughout the series.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who has been released from Pakistan’s Test squad? Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad have been released from the squad following the Lord’s Test.

Who has been added to Pakistan’s Test squad? Saim Ayub, Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran (Imran Randhawa) and Razaullah have been called up ahead of the third Test.

Why did PCB change the Pakistan Test squad? The PCB has not issued a detailed public explanation linking each change to a specific cause. The changes came immediately after the Lord’s defeat and immediately before the Birmingham Test, affecting both the playing squad and coaching staff.

Who is Pakistan’s coach for the Birmingham Test? Mike Hesson has been appointed head coach across formats, with Ashley Noffke brought in as bowling coach, replacing Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul.

Who replaced Umar Gul? Ashley Noffke, a former Australia seamer, has taken over the bowling coach role.

Who is in Pakistan’s updated Test squad? Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Razaullah, Saad Baig, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah.

When is Pakistan’s third Test against England? The third Test takes place at Edgbaston, Birmingham, with the series already decided 2-0 in England’s favour.