Pakistan captain Babar Azam revealed that he was completely blindsided by the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to drastically restructure the squad ahead of the final Test against England at Edgbaston. Speaking on Tuesday, the eve of the match, Babar admitted that the wholesale changes were “news to me” and that he only became aware of the situation following an official announcement from the board.
“It was news to me,” Babar stated in Urdu. “I found out after. The PCB decided it, so they will be able to explain better. The PCB’s decision must have been taken after some thought process. It’s better if you ask them why.”
The PCB’s response to heavy defeats at Headingley and Lord’s has been severe, resulting in seven players being sent home and the removal of head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed along with his assistant, Umar Gul. To fill the gaps, the board has called up five players who have no previous Test experience. Additionally, white-ball coach Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke have been appointed to oversee the team for the Edgbaston fixture.
Despite the turmoil, Babar viewed the situation as an opportunity for the new arrivals to demonstrate their capabilities. He noted that the current squad, himself included, has yet to play a Test match at Edgbaston. “The series is lost but we have nothing to lose,” he said. “We should play freely and believe in ourselves as a team.”
Babar, who missed the innings defeat at Headingley due to a finger injury and struggled with scores of 8 and 6 at Lord’s, emphasized that senior players must now step up. “I firmly believe you need to grab opportunities and perform in difficult conditions,” he added. “We need to forget about past failures and shift focus to the future.”
Meanwhile, England captain Joe Root pushed back against claims that Pakistan has lacked fight during the tour, labeling such suggestions as “disrespectful” to both sides. Root argued that England’s success is a result of their own strong performance and ability to read match situations quickly rather than a lack of effort from the visitors.
“I think it’s very easy to say one team is excellent and one team is poor. Normally it’s somewhere in the middle,” Root explained. “If one team has been outstanding then the other team can’t have been poor and vice versa.”
Root, who has averaged 29.44 across five Tests this summer, acknowledged that he has faced personal challenges with the bat on pitches heavily favoring seam bowlers. Having been dismissed lbw nine times in his last seven Tests, he remains focused on improvement. “You’re always looking to find ways of improving and there’s always going to be something to contend with,” he said. “I’ve found it quite tricky but I always think that’s the fun bit. It should be, ‘This is a chance to go and do something special and win a game for your country.’” The report also notes that including Babar, has played a test at Edgbaston, babar framed the remarkable overhaul as a fresh chance for the players “to showcase their talent.” None of the Pakistan squad. The report also notes that where Pakistan lost by 194 runs, he missed the innings loss at Headingley because of a finger injury and made only 8 and 6 at Lord’.
