Crash and burn: Pakistan cricket at a new low after England humiliation

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Pakistan's Babar Azam with teammates following his side's defeat to England on day four of the third cricket Test at Edgbaston, in Birmingham, England, on September 12, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP

Pakistan cricket hit a fresh low during the dismal 3-0 Test whitewash in England, even if a dazzling cameo by debutant Razaullah at least ensured a tour marred by mid-series sackings ended with a flicker of hope.

Described as the worst team to tour England in the last 50 years, Pakistan's cycle of chopping and changing continued when head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling chief Umar Gul were sacked from their posts.

Seven players were expelled from the squad as the often vulnerable batting fell to a new low, failing to cross 200 in five of the six innings.

White-ball coach Mike Hesson was brought in to take charge of the side for the third and final Test, a move which failed to reverse Pakistan's fortunes.

The turmoil intensified when expelled players Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq were investigated by the national cybercrime agency on charges of leaking team information.

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram said he had predicted this free fall. "It's a disappointing state but I could see this coming for the last five years and you can't blame one particular person and one factor because there are many," Akram told AFP.

His fellow former star Shahid Afridi described the situation as "bleak".

"These are gloomy times in Pakistan cricket," Afridi said. "You don't disrespect players like this and your system is not strong."

Changes and upheaval after defeats are hardly new for Pakistan. The cricket team has had three captains and six head coaches for Tests over the last three years.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has also had five different chairmen in as many years, resulting in a lack of consistent planning that has hurt the game's development.

The PCB banned then-captain Mohammad Yousuf and senior batter Younis Khan for an indefinite period and disciplined five other players, including Afridi, after a disastrous 3-0 whitewash in Australia in 2010.

The third-test defeat to England at Edgbaston was Pakistan's 16th in their last 21 Tests, leaving them ninth and last on the World Test Championship (WTC) table, the same position in which they finished the previous cycle.