Imagine finding out you’ve been dropped from your national team and sent packing on the next flight home — not from your coach or captain but from a notification on your phone. That’s exactly what happened to seven Pakistani cricketers in the middle of their Test series against England.
Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Rizwan, Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal and Muhammad Awais Zafar were all sent back home suddenly and according to a report by a leading publication, they learned about it through social media rather than being told directly by the Pakistan Cricket Board or the team management.
The report revealed that the board and team management did very little to personally inform the players that they had not only been dropped from the squad but were also being booked on the earliest possible flights back to Pakistan. Some of the players were reportedly out walking around London at the time, while others were simply relaxing in their hotel rooms when messages from friends and family started pouring in, alerting them to the PCB’s official press release about the changes.
According to the report, the players who were sent home are largely feeling shocked and confused by how things played out. One player is said to have felt he was unfairly made an example of, despite having put in a reasonably good performance. He reportedly checked the press release several times, initially thinking it might not even be real, until it was eventually confirmed to be true.
The report also painted a picture of a Pakistan dressing room already dealing with turmoil and confusion following two heavy losses in the series so far — a mood that is unlikely to improve given the board’s latest decision under chairman Mohsin Naqvi. The board was reportedly quite upset over Imam-ul-Haq’s calf injury, which they suspected might not be genuine, and an investigation into the matter has already been launched. Mohammad Rizwan also appears to be out of favor with the board.
Despite once being one of the most beloved and consistent performers for Pakistan across all formats, Rizwan is now reportedly viewed unfavorably by the board because of concerns over his influence within the dressing room, with officials feeling he has become a disruptive presence rather than a steadying one.
To fill the gaps left behind, Saim Ayub, Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Razaullah have all been called up as replacements for the squad.
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