Hesson says Pakistan players are used to ‘chaos’ after dramatic squad shake-up

Pakistan’s Test squad has been reshaped in the middle of a losing series, but interim head coach Mike Hesson believes the players can move past the disruption and challenge England in Birmingham.

England secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series after winning the opening Test at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs and the second at Lord’s by 194 runs. The Pakistan Cricket Board responded by sending seven players home and calling up seven replacements. It also replaced dismissed Test coach Sarfaraz Ahmed with Hesson, who already oversees Pakistan’s white-ball teams.

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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.

The departures included senior players Imam-ul-Haq and Salman Ali Agha, who captained Pakistan at Headingley while Babar Azam was injured. Left-arm spinner Ali Usman, who took five wickets at Headingley, and seamer Khurram Shahzad were also sent home. Only batsmen Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal among the replacements had Test experience.

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The guys are probably more used to a little bit of chaos than I am.

Hesson had been in Japan preparing for the Asian Games and had planned to travel to Britain for the squad’s audience with King Charles. Instead, his arrival was brought forward. “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 said at Edgbaston.

He said the players were accustomed to “a little bit of chaos” and had responded well after their disappointment. Hesson said his immediate task was to build a balanced attack with more variety, including the pace, unusual actions and mystery spin associated with Pakistan, which he said the team had not shown so far.

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Pakistan is known for the pace, unusual actions, mystery spin, we haven’t really been able to present any of that.