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England vs Pakistan third and final Test match is being played at Edgbaston, Birmingham. Joe Root’s side have already won the series as they are leading 2-0 and are ahead in the final Test as well. They are looking for a clean sweep; amidst this, former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has taken a swipe at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for changing coaches and players.
Babar Azam’s side has been in trouble throughout the series; despite the bowlers bowling a bit well, the batters have failed to live up to expectations, and thus they have been bowled out cheaply in the first two games. They lost the first match by an innings and 103 runs and the second by 194 runs, which says a lot about their failure.
"Consistency is the key": Wasim Akram slams PCB
Wasim Akram was on the YouTube show of Furqan Bhatti, where he spoke about the sudden change in the Pakistan National Cricket Team in the middle of a tour, calling it an embarrassing move by the PCB. Wasim Akram believes it showcased the lack of communication between the team and the management, and also for the captain of the team.
"Consistency is the key, of course, but for how long? When seven players and two coaches return in the middle of a tour, it’s embarrassing for the team and the captain and it also shows there is a lack of communication," Wasim Akram said while speaking on Furqan Bhatti’s YouTube channel.
"I have been involved in the PSL with these teams for the past four to five years, so I have seen the situation closely. In my view, the talent is there. Coaches may change, but the core players remain largely the same," Wasim Akram said.
PCB dropped seven players and sacked two coaches
PCB, after the humiliating loss in the second Test match by 194 runs at Lord’s Cricket Ground, London, dropped seven players: Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar, Khurram Shahzad. Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were also sacked, which came as a shocking call for the whole cricket fraternity.
White-ball coach Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke took charge of the side ahead of the third Test match. However, nothing changed as the side was bowled out for 133 runs in the first innings of the third Test match, as their batting woes continued despite the chaotic change in the dressing room. In this Test, they made four changes to their team in Birmingham.
Pakistan in deep trouble
After being asked to bat first, the Pakistan batters fell like nine pins as no batter had the answer to the swing and pace of the England bowlers. Saud Shakeel, who was the star batter for them in the last Test, was again the highest scorer with 43 runs, and the top 5 batters went back for single-digit scores as they were bowled out for 133 runs.
England, in the first innings, took a lead of 320 runs in the first innings and now the Men in Green are two wickets down on a score of 107 runs; they are 213 runs behind, and they are in position to lose their 16th Test in their last 21 games.
