Hesson on Pakistan squad shake-up: 'Not involved'

Pakistan's interim head coach Mike Hesson has urged his newly restructured squad to overcome significant midseries disruption and deliver a stronger performance in the third and final Test against England, scheduled to begin on September 9 at Edgbaston. The team faced an unprecedented overhaul following back-to-back defeats in the opening two matches, which handed England an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. The Pakistan Cricket Board responded to the losses by sending seven players home and calling up seven replacements. Mike Hesson, who was already the team's white-ball coach, was appointed interim red-ball coach for the final Test, replacing Sarfaraz Ahmed. Hesson stated he was not involved in the selection of the revamped squad, explaining that three players, including Mohammad Rizwan, Imamul Haq, and Salman Ali Agha, had already been released and were en route home by the time he was asked to manage the red-ball side. Hesson, who had been in Japan preparing for the Asian Games, described the past few days as challenging due to the rapid changes and the arrival of new players while others departed.