Mike Hesson set to take charge of Pakistan for 3rd Test vs England as Sarfaraz Ahmed faces likely sacking: Report
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Mike Hesson set to take charge of Pakistan for 3rd Test vs England as Sarfaraz Ahmed faces likely sacking: Report originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Pakistan white-ball head coach Mike Hesson is reportedly set to take over as head coach of the Test team for the third Test against England at Edgbaston.
- The reported move comes after Pakistan suffered a 194-run defeat at Lord's, conceding the Test series 0-2 after a previous loss at Leeds.
- According to Geo News Urdu's Syed Yahya Hosseini, Hesson could also take over the Test team's coaching responsibilities on a longer-term basis.
- Current red-ball head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed is reportedly facing the prospect of being removed after the England tour.
Mike Hesson set to take charge of Pakistan for Edgbaston Test: Report
Pakistan could be set for another major change to their coaching setup, with white-ball head coach Mike Hesson reportedly in line to take charge of the Test team for the third and final Test against England at Edgbaston.
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According to a report by Geo News Urdu journalist Syed Yahya Hosseini, Hesson has been asked to oversee Pakistan's red-ball affairs and could be involved with the team for the Test starting on September 9 in Birmingham.
The report stated that Hesson, who had initially travelled to London alongside Pakistan's Director of High Performance Aqib Javed, is now expected to be present in the dressing room for the Edgbaston Test.
🚨 BIG CHANGES IN PAKISTAN TEAM FOR 3RD TEST. 🚨
— Sheri. (@CallMeSheri1_) August 31, 2026
- PCB has decided to send Imam-ul-Haq & Mohammad Rizwan home immediately.
- Saim Ayub & Arafat Minhas have been called up, along with six other players.
- Mike Hesson will take over the responsibilities, with Sarfaraz Ahmed also… pic.twitter.com/3nbBpsCq05
"According to sources, the head coach of the white-ball team, Mike Hesson, who initially arrived in London for a dinner with Shahzad along with Director of High Performance, Aqib Javed," the report read.
"He is now reportedly being handed over to him in charge of the Test team after the national team's 194-run defeat in the Lord's Test," it added.
The development has placed the current Test head coach, Sarfaraz Ahmed, under serious scrutiny, with the report suggesting that the former Pakistan captain could lose his role following the completion of the England tour.
However, the reported change has not been officially confirmed by the Pakistan Cricket Board at the time of writing.
Sarfaraz Ahmed faces possible Pakistan sacking while Hesson could get an all-format role
The reported move could be more than just a short-term arrangement for the final Test against England, per the Geo News report.
"According to initial reports, the PCB has asked Mike Hesson not only to look after the Test team's affairs, but now he will not only be busy with the team for the third and final Test starting on September 9 at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham, but will also be present in the dressing room,"Â Hosseini noted.
"It is highly likely that after the ODI and T20 series, Mike Hesson will also take over the coaching responsibilities of the Test team, and Sarfaraz Ahmed will be removed from coaching the Test team after the England tour," he added in his report.
Hesson's potential involvement would also give Pakistan the possibility of having one coach overseeing the national side across formats. However, it remains unclear whether the reported Edgbaston arrangement would become permanent, according to a another report from Geo News.
Additionally, batters Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan have also been sent home after the Lord's Test, with Saim Ayub and Arafat Minhas called up for the Birmingham Test.
Pakistan's back-to-back losses was always going to prompt a change
England set Pakistan a target of 388 on the fourth morning, but the visitors' hopes quickly unravelled. Imam, the Pakistan opener, did not suit up for the team's second innings either, citing injury so the team essentially started 0/1.
Meanwhile, Azan Awais was trapped lbw early before Abdullah Shafique was dismissed for a duck in the same over. Pakistan's problems deepened when Jofra Archer removed Babar Azam, leaving the visitors in serious trouble.
Shan Masood and Saud Shakeel offered some resistance, surviving a difficult period. Later, Shakeel brought up his fifty and continued to fight even as wickets fell around him before his eventual dismissal on 97.
Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 194, with Robinson taking 4/24 in the second innings as England completed a 194-run victory. Earlier, Pakistan suffered an innings-and-103-run defeat at Leeds, and the latest defeat means they have lost the series 0-2 with one game left.
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