Overview
- The Pakistan Cricket Board removed Test coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul and sent seven players home in a mid‑tour shake-up that has left Mike Hesson as interim Test coach with a reworked squad.
- Hesson has flown in seven replacements, including two experienced batters and five largely uncapped players, and said he was not involved in the initial decision to release three senior figures.
- Multiple reports say several players learned of their removal through social media or family messages rather than direct contact from team management, a lapse that former coaches called disrespectful.
- High‑profile commentators including Jason Gillespie, Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton publicly blamed selector Aaqib Javed and the PCB for inconsistent selections, poor communication and damage to Pakistan’s reputation.
- The third Test at Edgbaston now serves as a short‑term test of the overhaul’s impact and is likely to shape whether the PCB pursues further governance or selection changes.