Pakistan Seek Consolation Win in England Test

BIRMINGHAM: (Sports Desk) – Pakistan will look to salvage some pride from a disastrous tour of England when they face the hosts in the third and final Test at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

Having suffered heavy defeats in the opening two matches, Pakistan have already conceded the three-Test series. They were beaten by an innings in the opening Test at Headingley before losing the second encounter at Lord’s by 194 runs.

The team’s response to the Lord’s defeat has been dramatic, with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) making major changes to the squad midway through the series.

The PCB sent seven players home and brought in seven replacements, five of whom are yet to make their Test debuts. The board also removed Test coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul, replacing them with white-ball coaches Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke.

Among those sent home were Salman Ali Agha, who captained Pakistan at Headingley in the absence of injured Babar Azam, and left-arm spinner Ali Usman, who claimed a five-wicket haul in the match. Experienced wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan and opener Imam-ul-Haq were also released, with Imam unable to bat in either innings at Lord’s because of a calf injury.

New head coach Mike Hesson admitted that the upheaval was unusual, saying Pakistan’s players were perhaps more accustomed to such instability than he was.

Hesson said his immediate priority was to build a balanced squad capable of offering greater variety in the bowling attack, adding that Pakistan had traditionally been known for pace, unusual bowling actions and mystery spin.

Former Pakistan captain Azhar Ali has placed much of the blame for the team’s struggles on Aaqib Javed, the PCB’s high-performance director. Ali criticised Javed’s decision-making, while former Pakistan coach Jason Gillespie also called on him to reflect on his role in the team’s problems.

The PCB has since announced an investigation into the conduct of the Pakistan squad during the England tour.

Pakistan face another major challenge at Edgbaston, having had no tour match between the second and third Tests to help the new arrivals adjust to English conditions.

England batter Joe Root said after the Lord’s Test that seam-friendly pitches, overcast conditions and responsive balls had created difficult circumstances for batters.

Pakistan, who have failed to reach 200 in any of their four innings in the series, have particularly struggled against England’s pace attack featuring Ollie Robinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson.

England, meanwhile, will be aiming to complete a series whitewash and maintain the disciplined approach that has helped them secure their first Test series victory in more than a year.

For Pakistan, however, even a victory at Birmingham may raise uncomfortable questions about whether a short-term success could mask deeper problems within the team’s setup.

Pakistan have lost 15 of their last 20 Tests, a record that former captain Azhar Ali described as consistency “in the most negative way.”