Pakistan players used to 'chaos,' says head coach Mike Hesson
What's the story
Interim head coach Mike Hesson has said that the Pakistan cricket team players are accustomed to "chaos." His statement comes after a major shake-up in the team for their final Test against England, starting September 9. The overhaul saw seven players dropped and an equal number called up, following Pakistan's poor performance in the first two Tests as England swept the visitors away in style. Here's more.
Coaching shift
Hesson's unexpected journey to England
Hesson, who was Pakistan's white-ball coach, was recently in Japan for the 2026 Asian Games.
He was supposed to travel to the UK only for a meeting with King Charles. However, after Pakistan lost the first two Tests, he was made interim head coach for the third Test at Edgbaston on September 9, as per BBC Sport.
Squad dynamics
Navigating the chaos
"I was heading over to see the King and be part of a nice occasion," said Hesson.
"That got expedited. The last couple of days have been challenging for being in a hotel with some players coming, some players going and then the arrival of everyone."
He added that while they have been disappointed, they have also been good at focusing on what comes next.
Chaos
Hesson says Pakistan's players are used to chaos
Hesson said Pakistan's players are used to chaos than he is.
"The guys are probably more used to a little bit of chaos than I am. There's no doubt they have been disappointed, incredibly disappointed," he said.
"We've had to park that and go 'righto, where to from here?' They've been really good over the past couple of days," he added.
Strategic decisions
Strategy behind the massive overhaul
Hesson clarified his strategy behind the squad changes.
The three most senior players dropped - batters Imam-ul-Haq and Salman Ali Agha, and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan - were axed before he took over.
He then assessed the bowling attack and made changes based on what he thought was needed for the conditions at Edgbaston.
Squad expansion
The new faces in the squad
Two players who played the first two Tests, spinner Ali Usman and seamer Khurram Shahzad, have been released.
Despite not playing on this tour, Aamir Jamal and Muhammad Awais Jafar have also been released.
Batters Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, both with Test experience, have been added to the squad along with five uncapped players: spin-bowling all-rounder Arafat Minhas; left-arm seamer Mohammed Imran Jr.; wicketkeeper Said Baig; all-rounders Mohammad Imran and Razaullah.
Information
Here is the revised squad
Updated squad: 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.
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England are 2-0 up in the series
England have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series with a 194-run win at Lord's. The Brits won the opener by an innings and 103 runs. Notably, Pakistan struggled with their batting throughout this series, getting bowled out under 200 in each of their four innings so far.