Pakistan's men's Test team is preparing for a major overhaul ahead of the third Test against England, following a 2-0 series defeat in the opening two matches.
White-ball coach Mike Hesson is set to take charge of the Test side, with as many as six players being summoned from Pakistan, as reported by NDTV.
Having been comprehensively outplayed across the first two Tests of their England tour, Pakistan have hit the reset button. Among those summoned are Saim Ayub and Arafat Minhas, with the remaining replacements expected to join the squad once their visas are cleared.
The changes also include departures from the current squad. Mohammad Rizwan is reportedly being sent back to Pakistan following a poor run with the bat. Imam-ul-Haq is also expected to return, with his calf injury set to be assessed.
Pakistan's Test Tour Turns Into Damage Control Exercise
The scale of the reaction reflects just how badly Pakistan have struggled against England.
At Headingley in the first test, England crushed Pakistan by an innings and 103 runs. The second Test at Lord's brought another heavy defeat, with the hosts winning by 194 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
Pakistan's batting has been a major concern. The visitors were bowled out for just 110 in their first innings at Lord's before managing 194 in their second.
Across the four innings in which Pakistan have batted, they have faced a total of just 171.3 overs, which is around 40 overs fewer than England, who have batted for three innings.
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England's seamers repeatedly exposed Pakistan's vulnerability against pace, with Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue and Jofra Archer causing significant problems.
With the final Test still more than a week away, Pakistan's team management is now looking at personnel changes as it attempts to find a response to the series defeat.
The development comes after Hesson and High-Performance Director Aqib Javed had already travelled to London before Pakistan's defeat at Lord's.
The PCB's stated position was that the duo were in London to attend a dinner hosted by King Charles for the Pakistan team on Sept. 2.
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, COO Sumair Ahmed and PSL chief Salman Naseer are also expected in London, with a PSL meeting scheduled for Sept. 1.
King Charles Reception Was Planned Before Series
The presence of senior PCB officials and the coaching hierarchy in London has raised eyebrows in Pakistan cricket, particularly with the national team struggling badly in the Test series.
However, the King Charles engagement was planned before the series began and was not arranged as a response to Pakistan's performances.
Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the King is expected to meet the Pakistan team this week.
While the reception and PSL-related meetings were already on the calendar, Pakistan's cricketing focus has now shifted towards addressing the problems exposed during the first two Tests.
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Pakistan Have One Week To Rebuild
In order to reassemble the Test team and finalise its coaching structure prior to the last game, the PCB is currently in a race against time.
Before the third Test starts at Edgbaston on Sept. 9, Pakistan has just over a week to reorganise.
The squad will go into the final Test having already lost the series after two crushing losses, and there are serious concerns about its coaching staff.
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