Pakistan interim red ball coach Mike Hesson has quashed rumours that Salman Ali Agha declined an invitation to an event at Buckingham Palace to meet United Kingdom monarch King Charles III. The event took place after Pakistan released seven players from its Test squad following the Lord’s defeat, including Agha.
While Imam ul Haq and Mohammad Rizwan returned home immediately, Agha was asked to stay back but was not seen at the event. The four other players released from the squad, Aamer Jamal, Ali Usman, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad, attended the event. Hesson has now clarified that Agha did not turn down the invitation.
Hesson dismissed the speculation surrounding Agha’s absence from the Buckingham Palace event, insisting that the player was never expected to attend after being released from the Test squad. The Pakistan coach said the reports were simply made up.
“Look, I know there’s been a void in the news, but people are just making up stories. Salman Ali Agha, as I’ve said, the three players were released from the squad before I arrived, well before Buckingham Palace,” Hesson said.
“They were sent a note at that time that these three players would not be attending Buckingham Palace. So, someone’s just made something up,” he added.
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‘Two and two together and come up with nine’
Hesson further clarified that there were no last-minute changes to the Buckingham Palace guest list, insisting that the players who remained in the squad were already included. He said the situation was straightforward and criticised the reports surrounding Agha’s absence, accusing the media of drawing the wrong conclusions from the circumstances.
“In terms of the other players, all of the rest of the players that were in the squad were already on the list. I was already on the list as the white-ball head coach, so there have been no changes to it,” he said.
“It was all very straightforward. Someone’s just got two and two together and come up with nine. For me, that’s unacceptable journalism,” Hesson concluded.
Pakistan lost the first Test against England by an innings and 103 runs before suffering a 194-run defeat in the second, leaving them 2 0 down in the three-match series. The visitors struggled badly with the bat, failing to cross the 200-run mark in any of their four innings so far. Pakistan will now look to avoid a series whitewash when they take on England in the third Test, which begins on September 9.
