A startling revelation has emerged about the sudden removal of Sarfaraz Ahmed as head coach of Pakistan’s national Test team, raising fresh questions about the circumstances behind his departure.
According to renowned sports journalist Abdul Majid Bhatti, many journalists did not investigate why Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul were sent back along with the players. Majid Bhatti revealed in a program that Sarfaraz Ahmed allegedly received a message from Aqib Javed instructing him to play Obaid Shah or Aamer Jamal in the Lord’s Test, drop Mohammad Rizwan, and hand a debut to Ghazi Ghauri.
According to Bhatti, when Sarfaraz Ahmed discussed the message with captain Babar Azam, the captain responded firmly that he would take the field with Mohammad Rizwan and Khurram Shahzad. Bhatti further claimed that the disagreement led to growing resentment, and Sarfaraz Ahmed was subsequently removed from his position following the Lord’s Test. The revelation has raised fresh questions about the role of team management and selection-related interference in Pakistan cricket.
It is worth mentioning here that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had earlier released seven players from the national Test squad following the completion of the Lord’s Test. The players released from the squad are Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad.
The PCB has also announced seven replacements, with five uncapped players earning their first Test-level call-ups, while two players with previous Test experience have been brought into the squad. The changes come after the conclusion of the Lord’s Test as Pakistan reshapes its squad for the next phase of the Test series.
The inclusion of five uncapped players is expected to provide fresh options to the national side, while the two capped replacements bring additional experience to the squad. Among the players announced as replacements, batters Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal have played eight and two Tests, respectively, while left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Arafat Minhas has represented Pakistan in three ODIs and four T20Is.
The four other players are left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Imran Jnr, wicketkeeper-batter and player of the tournament of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2025-26, Saad Baig, right-arm pace bowling all-rounder Mohammad Imran (also known as Imran Randhawa) and Razaullah.