Pakistan captain Babar Azam has said that he was not prevy to Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) decision of making a series of changes to the team following the defeat at Lord’s. Ahead of the third Test, which begins on Wednesday, Babar offered few details about the decisions, which saw a major portion of the squad reshuffled.
Babar admitted that he had not been consulted by the PCB about the decision. Meanwhile, he also chose to focus on the opportunities now available to the players who have been brought into the setup. Notably, the changes came soon after Pakistan’s loss at Lord’s. In a big decision, the PCB released as many as seven players from the Test squad, while head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were also removed from their positions. Seven replacements were were also brought in including five players, who are yet to make their Test debuts.
"It was news to me. I came to know about it later. The PCB decided it, so they'll be able to explain it better," Babar said at the press conference.
Babar further said that there must have been some thought process behind PCB' decision.
"The decision taken by the PCB must have been taken after some thought process. So, i think it's better if you ask them because they will be able to explain it better."
Meanwhile, Pakistan, who are 0-2 down in the three-match series, will play for pride and hope to make a big impact in the final Test. And Babar asserted that the team should play freely as they have nothing to lose.
"The series is lost but we have nothing to lose. We should play freely and believe in ourselves as a team. We've practiced 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." Babar said.