The numbers told their own story at Lord’s. A 194-run defeat to England, on the back of an innings-and-103-run hammering at Headingley, has forced Pakistan into sweeping, mid-series surgery.
On Monday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) tore into the Test set-up, releasing seven squad members – including senior figures Mohammad Rizwan, Imamul Haq and Salman Ali Agha – before the final Test of the series in Birmingham.
England’s win at Lord’s sealed a 2-0 lead with one to play in the three-match series. For Pakistan, the response has been ruthless.
Senior names out, new faces in
According to a PCB press release, Rizwan, Imam and Agha are joined on the exit list by Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad. All seven have been cut from the Test squad ahead of the third match at Edgbaston on September 9.
In their place comes a wave of change.
The PCB has named seven replacements, a blend of promise and limited experience: five uncapped at Test level, two with caps but still at the start of their international journeys.
Saim Ayub, who has already featured in eight Tests, returns to the fold, as does Abdullah Fazal, with two caps to his name. Both are now tasked with shoring up a batting order that has twice been dismantled by England’s attack.
Around them, Pakistan have turned to fresh, largely untested talent.
Among the uncapped group is left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Arafat Minhas, who has already dipped his toes in international waters with three ODIs and four T20Is. Left-arm quick Mohammad Imran Jr. adds another angle to the pace stocks.
Behind the stumps, there is a bold move. Wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig, player of the tournament in the 2025–26 Quaid-i-Azam Trophy, steps into the Test squad with a domestic reputation to protect and a gaping void to help fill after Rizwan’s exit.
Two right-arm pace-bowling all-rounders, Mohammad Imran (also known as Imran Randhawa) and Razaullah, complete the uncapped quintet, both offering Pakistan extra ballast in the lower order and another seam option in English conditions.
“The players will join the Pakistan squad ahead of the third Test against England,” the PCB confirmed.
Shake-up in the dressing room
The clear-out has not stopped with the playing group.
Test head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul have also been relieved of their duties, a stark statement on how deeply the board views the current crisis.
In their place, Pakistan will lean on their white-ball brains trust. White-ball head coach Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke will step into the Test backroom staff for Birmingham, charged with steadying a side that has been outplayed in both disciplines.
It is a radical pivot: a change in personnel, a shift in voices, and a new message for a squad that has just been shaken to its core.
New-look squad for Birmingham
The updated Pakistan Test squad for the third Test at Edgbaston reads:
Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, 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.
Babar now fronts a very different dressing room to the one that walked out at Headingley and Lord’s. Youth has been promoted, reputations have been risked, and the safety net of experience has been thinned.
One Test remains in this series. For Pakistan, it suddenly feels much bigger than a dead rubber.
