ENG vs PAK, 3rd Test: Ahead of the third and final Test against England at Edgbaston, Birmingham, beginning on September 9, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly launched a crackdown on some of the visiting players. A report has revealed that the PCB has confiscated a few Pakistan players’ phones before the third Test as it adds more drama in what has already been a wretched tour as far as on-field events go.
ENG vs PAK, 3rd Test: Why has the PCB confiscated Pakistan players’ phones?
According to media reports, the sudden retrieval of some players’ phones by the PCB is to investigate into a recent controversy. However, there is not much light on what the controversy is all about. It has added more chaos into an already troubled tour for the tourists, who are already 0-2 down and have lost the three-Test series to a rampaging England, led by Joe Root.
Their batting unit has come massively under the scanner after failing to cross 200 in any of their four innings. The series-opener at the Headingley in Leeds saw them manage scores of 171 and 135 to lose by an innings and 103 runs. With Babar Azam missing the first Test due to a hand injury, the notion was that their batting will improve once the visiting captain returns. But the Lahore-born cricketer managed two single-figure scores in the second Test at the Lord’s Cricket Ground. Pakistan failed to cross 200 in yet another Test and lost by 194 runs. As a result, the PCB have made wholesale changes to their squad for the third and final Test, releasing seven players in Awais Zafar, Aamer Jamal, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Rizwan, Khurram Shahzad and Ali Usman.
In their place, Abdullah Fazal, Saim Ayub, Arafat Minhas, Razaullah, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Jnr and Mohammad Imran have been added to the squad. Additionally, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul have been released as head coach and bowling coach, respectively. Instead, Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke will take charge for the third Test.
ENG vs PAK, 3rd Test: England and Pakistan Squads
England Squad: Joe Root (Yorkshire, captain), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Gus Atkinson (Surrey), Sonny Baker (Hampshire), Shoaib Bashir (Derbyshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Sam Cook (Essex), Jordan Cox (Essex), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Emilio Gay (Durham), Dan Lawrence (Surrey), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Jamie Smith (Surrey), Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire).
Pakistan Squad: Babar Azam (capt), Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Razaullah, Saad Baig (wk) Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, Ubaid Shah.
