A Pakistan participant reportedly refused to attend the group’s assembly with King Charles III at Clarence Home, regardless of being instructed to hitch the royal engagement forward of the third Check towards England. The participant was amongst seven cricketers dropped from the Check squad following Pakistan’s heavy defeat at Lord’s.
In response to a report in The Telegraph, your entire Pakistan touring group, together with the seven gamers faraway from the squad, had been requested to attend the assembly. Muhammad Awais Zafar, Aamir Jamal, Khurram Shahzad and Ali Usman had been current, whereas two different dropped gamers had been reportedly reluctant to attend and one other selected to remain away in protest over their therapy by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
The gamers who had been dropped and didn’t attend the assembly had been Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha. Notably, Imam and Rizwan flew again to Pakistan day after Pakistan misplaced the Lord’s Check.
The gamers had reportedly been instructed that attendance was necessary regardless of the turmoil surrounding the group. The sweeping modifications got here after Pakistan suffered a 194-run defeat towards England at Lord’s, a outcome that additionally successfully ended their hopes of successful the collection.
The assembly itself went forward cordially, with King Charles talking to the Pakistan gamers and officers and providing encouragement throughout a troublesome tour. Pakistan captain Babar Azam presented the King with a signed bat, whereas PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi additionally gave him a present.
PAKISTAN’S WEEK OF TURMOIL
The royal engagement got here amid a significant shake-up in Pakistan cricket, with the PCB making sweeping modifications to the Check squad following successive defeats towards England. Seven gamers and a number of other members of the teaching workers had been faraway from the touring group, whereas their replacements have but to be introduced.
The modifications have drawn criticism from a number of former Pakistan cricketers, whereas the PCB reportedly issued a show-cause discover to the selectors over the choice. The board additionally attracted consideration after reportedly searching for a fielding coach by LinkedIn, with the transfer receiving a combined response.
Pakistan had already been caught up in controversy throughout the second Check at Lord’s. The gamers reportedly threatened to not return after lunch on the opening day if Sky Sports activities broadcast an interview with the sons of former Pakistan captain and prime minister Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned for the previous three years on corruption costs.
The interview was ultimately aired, however Pakistan returned to the sphere earlier than struggling one other defeat. The fallout from the group’s poor outcomes then led to additional modifications, together with the departure of head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed, with New Zealander Mike Hesson introduced in to take cost for the rest of the collection.
With England already having secured the collection, Pakistan will now flip their consideration to the third Check at Edgbaston, the place they may look to finish a troublesome marketing campaign on a optimistic be aware.
– Ends
