Pakistan sack coach Sarfaraz Ahmed & send seven players home after Test defeats

[p]The tourists suffered an innings and 103-run loss in the series opener at Headingley before going down by 194 runs at Lord's on Sunday as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/UJC5mtAU/"]England[/a] took an unbeatable [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/cricket/england-UJC5mtAU/pakistan-tS3K91g9/?mid=CKBzUP3s"]2-0 lead in the three-match campaign[/a].[/p][p]The team has been labelled one of the country's worst sides in decades and the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/pakistan/tS3K91g9/"]Pakistan[/a] Cricket Board has now decided drastic action is required ahead of next month's third Test at Edgbaston.[/p][p]They have brought in white-ball coach Mike Hesson to replace former Pakistan captain Ahmed, with ex-[a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/australia/OxG0JfXg/"]Australia[/a] seamer Ashley Noffke taking over from tour bowling coach Umar Gul, while also making huge changes to the squad.[/p][embed guid="29a9e1f4-61e6-441f-8c9b-daa6b5ea9a73" url="https://x.com/cricbuzz/status/2094432001994686853" social-type="twitter" /][p]Among the players who have been axed are wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan and opener Imam-ul-Haq, unable to bat in either innings at Lord's because of a calf strain.[/p][p]Also returning home is Salman Ali Agha, Pakistan's stand-in skipper at Headingley when regular captain Babar Azam was injured.[/p][p][b]"The Pakistan Cricket Board has today announced that seven players have been released from the Test squad following completion of the Lord's Test,"[/b] said a PCB statement issued Monday.[/p][p]"The players include Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad."[/p][p]The statement added: [b]"Additionally, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul have also been released and will be replaced by Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke in the backroom staff."[/b][/p]