Too little, too late? Pakistan’s wholesale Test overhaul

Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul have also been released, with Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke taking charge of the coaching responsibilities for the final Test in Birmingham from September 9 to 13.The overhaul brings seven replacements into the squad, including Test-experienced Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, along with five players yet to make their Test debuts: Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran….

Saad’s inclusion is particularly intriguing after he was named Player of the Tournament in the 2025-26 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.The changes come after Pakistan were comprehensively outplayed in the opening two Tests.

England won the first at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs before completing a 194-run victory at Lord’s to take an unassailable 2-0 lead.

Pakistan’s batting has been the biggest concern, with no innings crossing 200 in the first two Tests.

There is little doubt that something had to change.

The real question, however, is why it took two crushing defeats for such drastic action to arrive.

The decision to introduce fresh blood is bold but belated.

Pakistan were crying out for a rethink after the Headingley humiliation, and waiting until the series was already lost makes the overhaul look more reactive than strategic.

At the same time, throwing several inexperienced players into an international Test against an England side that has already found its rhythm is hardly a risk-free solution.Yet Birmingham offers Pakistan one opportunity: not to save the series, but to save some pride and perhaps discover players capable of forming the nucleus of the next Test side.

The selection of Saad Baig, Minhas and the other emerging players could therefore prove more valuable than the result itself.If Pakistan are serious about rebuilding, the final Test must be treated not merely as a dead rubber, but as the beginning of a new Test cycle.

The wholesale changes may be late.

But if they lead to a genuine long-term rebuild rather than another short-term reaction, Pakistan’s last-gasp gamble could still have a purpose.UPDATED PAKISTAN SQUAD: Babar Azam (c), 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 and Ubaid Shah.

LAHORE – Pakistan have pressed the panic button, or perhaps finally found the courage to press the reset button, ahead of the third and final Test against England, releasing seven players and two coaches after a disastrous start to the three-match series.