A Pakistan player reportedly refused to attend the team’s meeting with King Charles III at Clarence House, despite being instructed to join the royal engagement ahead of the third Test against England. The player was among seven cricketers dropped from the Test squad following Pakistan’s heavy defeat at Lord’s.
According to a report in The Telegraph, the entire Pakistan touring group, including the seven players removed from the squad, had been asked to attend the meeting. Muhammad Awais Zafar, Aamir Jamal, Khurram Shahzad and Ali Usman were present, while two other dropped players were reportedly reluctant to attend and another chose to stay away in protest over their treatment by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
The players had reportedly been told that attendance was mandatory despite the turmoil surrounding the team. The sweeping changes came after Pakistan suffered a 194-run defeat against England at Lord’s, a result that also effectively ended their hopes of winning the series.
The meeting itself went ahead cordially, with King Charles speaking to the Pakistan players and officials and offering encouragement during a difficult tour. Pakistan captain Babar Azam presented the King with a signed bat, while PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi also gave him a gift.
PAKISTAN’S WEEK OF TURMOIL
The royal engagement came amid a major shake-up in Pakistan cricket, with the PCB making sweeping changes to the Test squad following successive defeats against England. Seven players and several members of the coaching staff were removed from the touring group, while their replacements have yet to be announced.
The changes have drawn criticism from several former Pakistan cricketers, while the PCB reportedly issued a show-cause notice to the selectors over the decision. The board also attracted attention after reportedly looking for a fielding coach through LinkedIn, with the move receiving a mixed response.
Pakistan had already been caught up in controversy during the second Test at Lord’s. The players reportedly threatened not to return after lunch on the opening day if Sky Sports broadcast an interview with the sons of former Pakistan captain and prime minister Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned for the past three years on corruption charges.
The interview was eventually aired, but Pakistan returned to the field before suffering another defeat. The fallout from the team’s poor results then led to further changes, including the departure of head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed, with New Zealander Mike Hesson brought in to take charge for the remainder of the series.
With England already having secured the series, Pakistan will now turn their attention to the third Test at Edgbaston, where they will look to end a difficult campaign on a positive note.
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