But their response to a 194-run loss in the second Test at Lord’s — which followed an innings reverse in the series opener at Headingley — surprised even longstanding observers of Pakistan’s often volatile cricket scene. Mammoth defeats in the opening two encounters mean Pakistan have already lost the three-match series in emphatic fashion. Pakistan will try to salvage something from the wreckage of a woeful tour of England with an upset victory in the third Test at Edgbaston starting on Wednesday.
Pakistan Captain and Spinner Excluded from Squad Following Injury
Salman Ali Agha, who served as Pakistan’s captain during the match at Headingley due to Babar Azam’s injury, along with left-arm spinner Ali Usman, has been instructed to leave the squad. Usman notably achieved a five-wicket haul in that game.
In light of these developments, coach Mike Hesson commented last week, stating, “The guys are probably more used to a little bit of chaos than I am. I don’t think anyone wants this to happen in the middle of a series.”
Azhar Ali, a member of the Pakistan side that topped the Test world rankings a decade ago, said much of the blame for the current debacle rests with Aaqib Javed, the PCB’s high performance director since 2024. The PCB subsequently announced Monday an investigation into the squad’s conduct in England.
“Every decision he makes backfires and he then says: ‘It’s not me'”, former Pakistan captain Ali told the Guardian, with Jason Gillespie, an ex-Pakistan coach, saying Javed needed to “look at himself in the mirror”. England captain Joe Root, second in Test cricket’s list of all-time run-scorers, said after Lord’s that a combination of seam-friendly pitches, overcast skies and responsive cricket balls had created a “perfect storm” for batsmen on both sides. Hesson, a former head coach of his native New Zealand, added: “From my perspective, it is about putting a balanced squad together, not only for this Test, so we actually have some variety in our attack.
