Babar Azam says Pakistan cricket squad changes came as surprise to him

Pakistan cricket captain Babar Azam revealed that the Pakistan Cricket Board's decision to release seven players and remove coaches Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul ahead of the third Test at Edgbaston came as a surprise to him, adding that he only learned about it afterwards. He indicated that the PCB would be better placed to explain the rationale, which he believed followed careful consideration. The players released included Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar, and Khurram Shahzad. ADVERTISEMENT Stay connected Make The News Mill your preferred source See more TNM stories when you search for news on Google. Add TNM on Google 'It was news to me. I found out after. The PCB decided it, so they'll be able to explain better. The PCB's decision must have been taken after some thought process. It's better if you ask them why,' Azam told reporters prior to the Edgbaston Test, according to Cricinfo. Following Pakistan's 194-run defeat to England at Lord's, leaving them 2-0 down in the three-match series, high-performance director Aaqib Javed sharply criticised the team's selection choices and expressed concerns regarding the side's composition. ADVERTISEMENT However, Azam defended Pakistan's selection decisions, stating that the playing XIs were chosen based on the team's assessment of the pitch and conditions at the time. He conceded that the team did not perform to expectations but maintained selections were made with the team's best interests in mind. 'We didn't play well in all three facets as a team,' he said. 'And when you don't get results, then you'll get plenty of criticism from outside. But we did what we thought was best at the time. The way we read the pitch and conditions, the XIs we went with were what we thought was best at the time. But we did not get the results or performance we expected of ourselves.' Azam urged Pakistan to approach the third and final Test match with freedom and confidence despite having lost the series, noting that practice sessions had been used to prepare the new players. He expressed hope that their enthusiasm would lead to a strong showing. ADVERTISEMENT 'The series is lost, but we have nothing to lose. We should play freely and believe in ourselves as a team. We've practised a couple of days and explained things to the new boys. Any young player who comes in is excited, and that excitement is visible. I believe that will be visible in the match, too,' he said. The PCB confirmed on Monday that an internal disciplinary inquiry had been initiated following media reports concerning 'discipline and conduct,' after allegations emerged that investigations involving batters Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan had expanded. PCB media director Amir Mir stated that the board was reviewing matters related to discipline and conduct under its regulations. 'The PCB has initiated an internal disciplinary inquiry following media reports concerning discipline and conduct, which are currently being reviewed internally,' he said, as quoted by Dawn.