01 September,2026 10:05 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Kevin Pietersen, Babar Azam (Pic: File Pic)
Pakistan is set to take on England in the third Test match. The match is scheduled to begin from September 9 at the Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham.
Ahead of the match, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made major changes to the squad. Following the changes, former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen jokingly remarked that the interview during the toss for Pakistan's skipper Babar Azam could be very long and the toss should be started a night before.
"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??," he wrote on his official social media handle.
The PCB has released seven players from the Test squad. Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul were also snubbed from their roles as head coach and bowling coach, respectively.
Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad were among the players released from the squad.
In the ongoing three-match Test series, the hosts have already taken a lead by 2-0. They will look to continue on their winning momentum and register a whitewash against Pakistan. On the other hand, the visitors will be eager to secure a win and finish the series on a positive note, despite poor performances.
England: Joe Root (C), Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Ollie Robinson, Jofra Archer, Dan Lawrence, Josh Tongue, Sam Cook, Harry Brook, Ollie Pope, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Smith (WK), Jordon Cox (WK), Emilio Gay, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir.
Pakistan: Babar Azam (C), Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (WK), Razaullah, Saad Baig (WK), Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, Ubaid Shah.
(With ANI Inputs)
