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· collected 2026-09-04 · by The Associated Press
Pakistan interim coach Mike Hesson says his players are more used to the "chaos" caused by recent changes than he is, after seven players were dropped from the team for a match against England. The changes, which included replacing test coach Sarfaraz Ahmed with Hesson and bringing in new bowling coach Ashley Nofke, have drawn criticism from former Pakistan cricketers Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik. According to Hesson, three players had already left the squad before he took over, including wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and opening batter Imam-ul-Haq. The team has been revamped with five uncapped players included in the squad, and Hesson aims to find variety in the attack and create opportunities for bowler Mohammed Abbas.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-04,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Pakistan's cricket team has undergone significant changes in response to their two defeats in the first two tests against England. The Pakistan Cricket Board replaced test coach Sarfaraz Ahmed with Mike Hesson, who is already the white-ball head coach, and brought in bowling coach Ashley Nofke to take over from Umar Gul. Seven players were sent home, including senior players Imam-ul-Haq and Salman Ali Agha, and seven new players were called up, including batsmen Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal. The changes have been met with criticism from former Pakistan cricketers like Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik. Despite the chaos, Hesson believes that his players are more used to it than he is, and hopes that they can come together and give a better performance in the third test at Birmingham's Edgbaston stadium on September 9.
Written for “Pakistan Cricket Team Shake Up” on 2026-09-05,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 3701 · logged 2026-09-04
Pakistan interim red-ball cricket coach Mike Hesson believes his players are more used to the “chaos” than him after the Pakistan Cricket Board dropped seven players for next week’s dead rubber against England.
asserted
Board → believe → England
“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,” Hesson told reporters on Friday.
asserted
Hesson → challenge → Friday
“The guys are probably more used to a little bit of chaos than I am,” he said.
asserted
he → say → chaos
“There’s no doubt they have been disappointed, incredibly disappointed.
asserted
they → ’ → ?
We’ve had to park that and go ‘righto, where to from here?’
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We → have → that
Pakistan made sweeping changes in a knee-jerk reaction to its two brutal defeats at Lord’s and Headingley in the first two tests of the three-match series.
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Pakistan → make → series
The PCB not only summoned back seven players, it also replaced test coach Sarfaraz Ahmed with Hesson and brought in bowling coach Ashley Nofke to take over from Umar Gul.
One of the four selectors Aaqib Javed and chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi have defended the changes midway through the series, which have drawn criticism from the likes of former Pakistan cricketers Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik.
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which → summon → Afridi
Hesson, Pakistan’s white-ball head coach, was recently in Japan preparing for the Asian Games and was only due to come to UK for last Wednesday’s team audience with King Charles, but was told that he will be taking over for the third test, starting in Birmingham next Wednesday.
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he → prepare → Birmingham
Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, opening batter Imam-ul-Haq and Salman Ali Agha, who captained the team in the first test, were among the first batch of the seven players who left the team before Hesson had joined the squad in the UK.
asserted
Hesson → captain → UK
Fast bowler Khurram Shahzad and left-arm spinner Ali Usman both played in the first two tests before being released while all-rounder Aamir Jamal and Mohammad Awais were sent home without getting a chance at either Lord’s or at Headingley.
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Jamal → play → Headingley
“When I took over, three players had already left the squad, Rizwan, Imam and Salman Ali Agha,” Hesson said.
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Hesson → take → squad
“I don’t think anyone wants these to happen in the middle of a series, clearly not.
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these → think → series
“From my perspective, it’s about putting a balanced squad together, not only for this test, so we actually have some variety in our attack.
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we → ’ → attack
Pakistan is known for the pace, unusual actions, mystery spin — we haven’t really been able to present any of that.”
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we → know → that
The selectors have included five uncapped players — spin all-rounder Arafat Minhas, left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Imran Jr., wicketkeeper Saad Baig, all-rounder Mohammad Imran and fast bowler Razaullah.
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selectors → include → players
Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal are the other two being flown to the UK to join the squad and have a combined experience of only 10 test matches.
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Ayub → fly → matches
“From a bowling point of view, we have got to find some variety,” Hesson said.
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Hesson → get → variety
“We need a little bit of an X-Factor in there as well to try and create some opportunities … to support Mohammed Abbas who’s done incredibly well.
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who → need → Abbas
I know all the players that are here now.
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that → know → players
Some I’ve worked with a bit, some I’ve said hello to a handful of times and watched them play.”
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them → work → times
