Pakistan's Major Squad Shake-up Before Edgbaston Test

Pakistan have torn up their touring script on the eve of the final Test at Edgbaston, sending seven players and two coaches home after a bruising series defeat to England.

The response is drastic. And deliberate.

Major clear-out after heavy defeats

Back-to-back hammerings at Headingley and Lord’s have forced the hand of the touring management. An innings-and-103-run thrashing in the opener was followed by a 194-run defeat at Lord’s, leaving Pakistan 2-0 down and staring at a whitewash.

The fallout has been immediate.

Mohammad Rizwan is out.
Imam-ul-Haq, injured during the second Test at Lord’s, also leaves the tour party.
Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad have all been told to head home as Pakistan rip out a sizeable chunk of their original squad.

The changes are not confined to the playing group. Former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul have also been released from their roles, with the backroom reshaped ahead of the Edgbaston Test.

Into the set-up come Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke, tasked with steadying a shaken touring party and giving Babar Azam something resembling a platform for the final match of the series.

Fresh faces, fresh gamble

Seven replacements have been drafted in, five of them uncapped at Test level. It is a bold selection call for a side already under pressure, but Pakistan have chosen to roll the dice rather than shuffle the pack.

At the top of the order, there is at least some experience. Saim Ayub returns with eight Test caps to his name, while Abdullah Fazal has two appearances. Both will be asked to stiffen a batting unit that has been outclassed by England’s attack.

Behind them, Pakistan have gone for youth, variety and left-arm options.

Arafat Minhas, the left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder who has already featured in white-ball cricket for Pakistan, steps into the Test squad.
He is joined by left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Imran Jnr, wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig, and pace-bowling all-rounders Mohammad Imran (also known as Imran Randhawa) and Razaullah.

It is a group that hints at a longer-term view, even as the immediate task is damage limitation in Birmingham.

Babar’s reshaped squad for Edgbaston

When Pakistan walk out at Edgbaston, they will do so with a squad that looks very different to the one that arrived in England.

Babar Azam leads a group now built around a core of familiar names and a ring of hopefuls:

Babar Azam (captain)
Abdullah Fazal
Abdullah Shafique
Arafat Minhas
Azan Awais
Mohammad Abbas
Mohammad Ali
Muhammad Imran
Mohammad Imran Jnr
Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper)
Razaullah
Saad Baig (wicket-keeper)
Saim Ayub
Sajid Khan
Saud Shakeel
Shan Masood
Ubaid Shah

The senior figures – Babar, Shan Masood, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Abbas – must carry the weight. Around them, the newcomers will be thrown into a high-pressure environment with little time to settle.

One Test to avoid a clean sweep

Edgbaston now hosts more than a dead rubber. For England, it is a chance to complete a 3-0 sweep and underline their dominance of the series. For Pakistan, it is about pride, credibility and a first step towards rebuilding after a chastening tour.

They arrive in Birmingham hurt, heavily beaten, and heavily changed.

Whether this radical reset sparks resistance or simply underlines the gulf between the sides will be clear soon enough.