Pakistan sack two coaches, send 7 players home amid disastrous England series

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has come under fire after sacking two coaches, including head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed, and sending seven players home following Pakistan's poor outing in the three-match Test series against England.

Pakistan lost the first two Tests of the three-match series in an abject manner. The visitors lost the series opener by an innings and 103 runs, while the second Test ended in a heavy 194-run defeat.

Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were also removed from their positions. Mike Hesson, who serves as the ODI coach, will replace Sarfaraz as head coach.

The players sent home include former captains Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha. Opener Imam-ul-Haq, who suffered a left calf tear, has also been replaced, the PCB said in a statement.

Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad have also been sent home. Mostly youngsters and uncapped players have replaced the seven for the third Test, which begins on September 9 in Birmingham.

"Among the players announced as replacements, batters Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal have played eight and two Tests, respectively, while left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Arafat Minhas has represented Pakistan in three ODIs and four T20Is," the PCB said.

Pakistan suffered severe batting collapses in both Tests, with none of their innings reaching the 200-run mark. Saud Shakeel, who scored a defiant 97 as Pakistan fought to avoid defeat at Lord's, was the only Pakistani batter to come close to a century.

However, the decision has drawn criticism from former coaches and players.

Former Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur described the move as "ridiculous".

"Absolutely ridiculous decision by the PCB. This is the reason they are in the mess they are because they constantly chop and change players, coaches and selectors and there is no stability! Planning, stability and structure lead to consistent performance," Arthur wrote on social media.

Former Pakistan captain and batting great Javed Miandad said he was shocked by the decision and felt sorry for both the players sent home and those brought in as replacements.

"The players sent back it is now a mental scar for them and a blot on their career while the players who are replacements will be under so much mental pressure in the one test remaining in the series," Miandad said on Tuesday.

Pakistan face England in the third test in Birmingham from September 9.