Pakistan summons home coaches and 7 players after brutal test cricket defeats in England
The Pakistan Cricket Board has recalled seven players and two coaches following poor performance in a Test series against England. The decision has faced backlash from former players who criticize the timing and logic of the mid-tour changes.
Why it matters
It illustrates the high-pressure environment of international sports management and the controversy surrounding sudden administrative interventions.
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan pushed the panic button after heavy defeats in the two cricket tests in England by replacing seven players and two coaches on Monday.
Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were summoned home by the Pakistan Cricket Board to be replaced by white-ball head coach Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke respectively for the third and final test in Birmingham starting on Sept. 9.
Wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, injured opening batter Imam-ul-Haq, first test captain Salman Ali Agha, spinner Ali Usman and pacer Khurram Shahzad — who all played in the second test defeat at Lord's on Sunday — were also returning home. Allrounder Aamir Jamal and batter Awais Zafar were going with them without getting a game in England.
The wholesale changes in a series which Pakistan has already lost didn't go down well with former Pakistan captains Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi .
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