Kevin Pietersen trolls PCB over Babar Azam toss interview after squad overhaul

"Could be a very long toss interview for Babar": Kevin Pietersen's hilarious remark on Pakistan skipper after PCB shakes-up squad for 3rd Test

London, September 1

Pakistan made major changes to their Test set-up ahead of the third and final Test against England from September 9 onwards, replacing almost half of their squad and releasing head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul following heavy defeats in the first two Tests against Three Lions, according to Cricinfo. The changes come after Pakistan suffered a 194-run defeat in the second Test, allowing England to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. In the first Test, Pakistan had lost by an innings margin.

Posting on X, Pietersen jokingly said that with the amount of changes that the team management has made, it could become a lot for Babar to explain during his toss interview and suggested hilariously that maybe the toss should be started the night before the game.

"When a captain is interviewed before every game, the interviewer asks about changes in their team. Could be a v v v v long interview for my buddy, Babar! Maybe the toss should start the night before??," said Pietersen on X.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have released seven players from the squad, including Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad.

Pakistan have brought in five uncapped players along with Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, who have a combined experience of just 10 matches. The five uncapped players added to the squad are Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Razaullah. Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke, who are part of Pakistan's white-ball coaching set-up as head coach and bowling coach respectively, have also joined the Test coaching staff, the report added.

Earlier, former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq offered his resignation from the Pakistan men's national selection committee following the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) decision to make major changes to the Test squad and coaching staff during the ongoing tour of England, according to Cricinfo.

According to the report, the PCB is yet to accept Misbah's resignation. He has also decided to step down from his role as a batting consultant at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.

Misbah, who retired as Pakistan's most successful Test captain in 2017, has held several positions within the PCB over the years. He was appointed head coach and chief selector in 2019, before stepping down as chief selector in October 2020 to focus on his coaching responsibilities. He later resigned as head coach in 2021.

In 2023, Misbah returned to the PCB as an advisor under then ad hoc management committee chief Zaka Ashraf. He was subsequently appointed as one of five mentors for the men's Champions Cup in 2024 and also worked with women's domestic teams. Last month, he coached the Pakistan Gold side to victory in the 50-over National Champions Cup in Multan under captain Shaheen Afridi.

Misbah was appointed to the four-member national selection committee in March this year alongside Aaqib Javed, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Asad Shafiq.

He was also working with the PCB under a contract that required him to serve as a batting consultant for 180 days a year.

The defeat at Lord's was Pakistan's 15th in the last 20 Tests. They currently sit at the bottom of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 standings. The third Test will begin at Edgbaston on September 9, with Pakistan aiming to end the series on a positive note and avoid a 3-0 clean sweep.

Pakistan squad for Birmingham Test against England: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, Ubaid Shah.

— ANI