Pakistan, Sept. 9 -- Pakistan captain Babar Azam was not consulted about the decision to tear up his squad ahead of this week's final Test against England, admitting the drastic cull was "news to me". Heavy defeats at Headingley and Lord's were met with sweeping changes by the Pakistan Cricket Board, who reacted by sending seven players home as well as removing head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and his assistant Umar Gul from their positions.

A raft of replacements were summoned, including five with no Test experience, while white-ball coach Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke were drafted to take charge at Edgbaston this week. Addressing the remarkable sequence of events for the first time on the eve of the third Test, Babar admitted decisions had be...