Pakistan entered the three-match Test tour after drawing their series against the West Indies 1-1. However, they suffered a heavy defeat in the opening Test, losing by an innings and 103 runs.

The second Test at Lord’s brought another setback, with Pakistan going down by 194 runs despite having not lost at the venue since 2010.

Following the defeats, the PCB made sweeping changes to the squad, sending seven players home. The senior trio of Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq and Salman Ali Agha were among those replaced.

The board also appointed Mike Hesson as white-ball head coach and Ashley Noffke as assistant coach, replacing Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul respectively.

Babar, who retained his place in the squad, was asked ahead of the third Test whether he had been involved in the decisions behind the changes.

The Pakistan captain said the overhaul came as news to him as well and that the PCB was better placed to explain the reasoning behind its decision.

“No, it was news for me too. I also came to know about this later,” Babar said.

Despite the disruption, Babar described the inclusion of younger players as an opportunity for them to prove themselves.

He said the changes would not necessarily make it harder to finalise the playing XI, adding that the newcomers had a “golden opportunity” to perform at the international level.

The PCB has also launched an internal disciplinary inquiry following media reports about discipline and conduct during Pakistan’s ongoing England tour.

Asked about the inquiry, Babar said he had no knowledge of it and was not involved in discussions surrounding the matter.

Babar defends team selection

The squad overhaul was defended earlier by national selector and Director High Performance Aaqib Javed, who said the captain and head coach were responsible for selecting the playing XI.

Babar responded that he and former head coach Sarfaraz had selected what they believed was the strongest XI based on the pitch and conditions.

However, he acknowledged that Pakistan had failed to perform across batting, bowling and fielding in the second Test.

“If you don't play as a team, if you don't get good results, such things will continue to happen,” Babar said.

He maintained that the XI selected for the previous match was considered the best combination after assessing the conditions, but admitted that the team failed to produce the required result.

Pakistan finalise third Test combination

With the series already beyond Pakistan’s reach, Babar said the team had shortlisted 12 players for the third Test and would make the final decision after assessing the conditions.

He said the final XI was expected to be decided either on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, depending on the pitch and the combination considered most suitable for the match.

Babar also urged his players to approach the final Test without pressure, saying there was little left to lose after Pakistan had already conceded the series.

He encouraged the team to play freely, believe in themselves and give the younger players an opportunity to show what they can do.

The captain said the new players had been briefed by the team and that their excitement ahead of the Test was already visible.

Babar expressed confidence that Pakistan would produce a better performance in the final match of the series.