Pakistan have released 7 players as well as their head coach mid-series The Babar Azam-led team has had a torrid time during the series, as they are 2-0 down in the three-match series and have gone down to last place in the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) table. They lost the first match by an innings and 104 runs in Leeds before being thrashed by 194 runs in the Lord's Test. Among the players being released is Salman Ali Agha, who led the team in the first match of the series when Babar was injured. He was dropped from the playing XI in the second Test. PCB has announced the replacement players too. White-ball head coach Mike Hesson will take charge of the team. "The Pakistan Cricket Board has today announced that seven players have been released from the Test squad following completion of the Lord’s Test. The players include Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad. A total of seven replacements have been named, including five uncapped players at Test level and two capped players. Among the players announced as replacements, batters Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal have played eight and two Tests, respectively, while left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Arafat Minhas has represented Pakistan in three ODIs and four T20Is," wrote PCB in a statement on their webiste. "The four other players are left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Imran Jnr, wicketkeeper-batter and player of the tournament of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2025-26 Saad Baig, right-arm pace bowling all-rounders Mohammad Imran (also known as Imran Randhawa) and Razaullah. :The players will join the Pakistan squad ahead of the third Test against England. Additionally, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul have also been released and will be replaced by Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke in the backroom staff," PCB added. Pakistan Test squad for Third Test Against England: 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 and Ubaid Shah Aayush Kataria is a Senior Copy Editor at Times Network with four years of experience, having started his career in the organisation. He is a key memb... View More