Former Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja criticised Aaqib Javed, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) director of high performance, following significant changes to Pakistan’s Test cricket team during the series against England.
Aaqib Javed had expressed frustration at the team’s performance, stating, “the world is laughing at us”. In response to this comment under a Cricinfo social media post, Khawaja wrote, “The world is laughing harder now.”
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Pakistan implemented major changes ahead of the third and final Test against England, starting September 9, replacing nearly half the squad and dismissing head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul after heavy defeats in the first two matches. These changes followed a 194-run loss in the second Test, which gave England an unassailable 2-0 lead, after an innings defeat in the first Test.
The PCB released seven players from the squad
The PCB released seven players from the squad following the Lord’s loss: Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad. They were replaced by five uncapped players—Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Junior, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, and Razaullah—and two players with limited experience, Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, who have collectively played 10 matches. Additionally, Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke joined as head coach and bowling coach respectively, roles they already held within Pakistan’s white-ball coaching staff.
Speaking on Geo, as cited by Cricinfo, Aaqib criticised Pakistan’s performances, reiterating that “the world is laughing at us”. He discussed his suggestions to captain Babar Azam and former coach Sarfaraz to strengthen the pace attack by including Ubaid Shah for additional pace and variety and recommending the uncapped Ghazi Ghori as wicketkeeper in place of Mohammad Rizwan. Aaqib emphasised that the recalled players have been sent a clear message that their performances must improve.
He elaborated, “Two Test matches have come and gone, and the team has not competed in any way.” He added, “There is one Test still to go. They [the management] had a pace allrounder available, a second wicketkeeper, a fast bowler in Ubaid Shah. But those decisions were not being made. I spoke to the captain [Babar Azam] and coach and asked them to put Ubaid in because the other bowlers [Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali and Khurram Shahzad] are all similarly paced.”
He further criticised the top seven batters
He further criticised the top seven batters for not bowling and advocated including an all-rounder and notably Ubaid Shah, “who bowls close to 140kph. One fast bowler changes the composition of your attack.” On selection, he noted, “I understand dropping [Salman] Agha, who’s out of form, but you should have played Ghazi Ghori instead of [Mohammad] Rizwan [as the wicketkeeper]. Someone had to take action. The world is laughing at us because we can’t even compete. The message we are sending to the recalled players is that you have to raise your game on important tours and compete, and we should be able to see some effort.”
Aaqib stated that while he did not doubt the players’ past performances, the lack of competitiveness forced the PCB to act. He added, “When you are not making the right decisions despite getting messages conveyed to you to play the right combination, that is a problem. Your captain, head coach and management have some responsibilities.”
Regarding batter Imam-ul-Haq’s calf injury, which caused him to miss batting innings in the second Test but was questioned after he was seen practising with a taped calf, Aaqib described it as “a big question mark”. He said, “Players in the past used to get injuries, but they used to put on casts and still tried [to play]. We will take action against this. How is it possible that a pulled muscle ruled you out of batting in both innings? He should have tried and fought. He will have to face an inquiry; I cannot say he faked it, but a muscle pull like that cannot stop you from batting altogether.”
Separately, former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has offered
Separately, former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has offered to resign from the national selection committee following the PCB’s decisions on the Test squad and coaching staff during the England tour The PCB has not yet accepted his resignation. Misbah has also stepped down from his role as a batting consultant at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore
Misbah, Pakistan’s most successful Test captain upon his retirement in 2017, has held multiple roles within the PCB, including head coach and chief selector. He resigned as chief selector in 2020 and as head coach in 2021. In 2023, he returned as an advisor and was appointed as a mentor for the men’s Champions Cup in 2024, as well as working with women’s domestic teams. In August, he coached the Pakistan Gold side to victory in the 50-over National Champions Cup in Multan under captain Shaheen Afridi. He was appointed to the four-member national selector committee in March 2026 alongside Aaqib Javed, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Asad Shafiq. He was contracted to serve as a batting consultant for 180 days annually.
The PCB has sought explanations from selectors regarding the inclusion of Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq, issuing a notice on the same day it announced the release of seven players and two coaches ahead of the third Test at Edgbaston. The selection committee was asked to submit a written explanation within 24 hours detailing the rationale and process behind selecting Rizwan and Imam.
From the start of 2024 until the West
From the start of 2024 until the West Indies tour, Rizwan was the leading Test run-scorer for Pakistan with the highest batting average. Imam had appeared in only two Tests during that period but was one of the leading run-scorers in domestic cricket.
Pakistan’s 15th defeat in 20 Tests occurred at Lord’s, leaving the team at the bottom of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 standings. The third Test begins at Edgbaston on September 9, with Pakistan seeking to avoid a 3-0 series defeat.
The selected Pakistan squad for the Birmingham Test against England includes: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Junior, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique and Ubaid Shah.
Source: thenewsmill.com
