One of the seven players recently discarded from the Pakistan squad refused to turn up for the team’s meeting with King Charles of England ahead of the third Test, starting next Wednesday at Edgbaston. The unnamed player was a no-show in protest against the treatment dished out by the Pakistan Cricket Board after he, along with six others, was axed following an embarrassing 194-run defeat at Lord’s, which also effectively ended Pakistan’s hopes in the series.
The Telegraph reported on Thursday that the entire Pakistan squad, including the seven dropped players, were ordered to meet the King at Clarence House. The motive behind the meeting, besides the customary visit by a visiting team to meet the King, also stems from concerns that the third Test might witness a poor turnout amid the upheaval in Pakistan cricket.
It is understood that Muhammad Awais Zafar, Aamir Jamal, Khurram Shahzad and Ali Usman – four of the seven – were present at the event, while two unnamed players expressed their reluctance to attend given all that has transpired with the PCB and the team over the last week. The seventh player, however, snubbed the meeting in protest. The cricketers were firmly told that they had to attend the meeting at all costs.
Event went on cordially
The meeting otherwise went along cordially. The King spoke to the Pakistan team, offering words of encouragement that promise to lift the players’ morale despite what has been an otherwise forgettable summer in England. Captain Babar Azam presented the King with a signed bat, while Mohsin Naqvi also offered him a gift.
With the series already lost, Pakistan could only play for pride in Birmingham. Meanwhile, the replacements for the seven ousted cricketers have yet to be named.
A week filled with turmoil
A lot has transpired in Pakistan cricket over the last 10-odd days. The team threatened not to take the field after lunch on Day 1 of the 2nd Test if Sky Sports aired an interview with Imran Khan’s sons. The former Pakistan Prime Minister has been in prison for the last three years on corruption charges. The players, however, turned up despite the interview.
Additionally, the wholesale changes made to the team haven’t sat too well, with several former Pakistan cricketers slamming the move. The PCB then served a show-cause notice to the selectors over the decision, while the board’s move to seek a fielding coach via LinkedIn was met with mixed reactions.
