Hesson says Pakistan players used to 'chaos' after squad shake-up

Interim Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson says his drastically revamped squad is used to handling chaos as the team prepares for next week's third and final Test against England in Birmingham. Pakistan trails 2-0 after heavy defeats at Headingley and Lord's, prompting a major squad overhaul ahead of the Edgbaston match.

Why did Pakistan make major changes to its squad?

Pakistan lost the series opener at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs before falling by 194 runs at Lord's, handing England an unbeatable 2-0 lead. The Pakistan Cricket Board responded by sending seven players home, calling up seven replacements, and replacing sacked Test coach Sarfaraz Ahmed with Hesson, who already led the white-ball side.

Which Pakistan players were dropped?

Senior players Imam-ul-Haq and Salman Ali Agha, who captained the side at Headingley after Babar Azam's injury, were among those sent home. Left-arm spinner Ali Usman, who had taken five wickets at Headingley, and seamer Khurram Shahzad were also dropped. Of the seven new additions, only batsmen Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal have prior Test experience.

What did Mike Hesson say about the squad changes?

Hesson said the disruption came suddenly, with his trip to meet King Charles this week expedited so he could take charge of the squad instead. "The last couple of days have been challenging for being in a hotel with some players coming, some players going and then the arrival of everyone," he told reporters at Edgbaston on Friday, as quoted by the BBC.

He added that the players have handled the turmoil better than he has. "The guys are probably more used to a little bit of chaos than I am. There is no doubt they have been disappointed, incredibly disappointed," Hesson said, adding that the squad had "been really good over the past couple of days" since the shake-up.

What is Hesson's plan for the Edgbaston Test?

Hesson said he does not want squad disruption occurring mid-series, but his focus now is building a balanced side with more variety in attack. "Pakistan is known for the pace, unusual actions, mystery spin. We haven't really been able to present any of that," he said. The third Test begins at Edgbaston on September 9.