Pakistan captain Babar Azam has revealed that the Pakistan Cricket Board’s mid-series overhaul came as a surprise to him, while batting coach Michael Smith urged patience with a young lineup that has struggled badly against England.

Babar says changes were made without his input

Speaking before the third Test at Edgbaston, Babar said he had not been consulted before seven players were sent home and changes were made to the coaching structure.

“It was news to me as well. I also came to know about it later. Since the PCB made the decision, they can explain it better,” Babar said.

The players released were Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Khurram Shahzad, Ali Usman and Awais Zafar. Babar also confirmed that he had recovered from a fever and was fit to lead Pakistan in the final Test.

Pakistan’s batting has failed to last

Pakistan had failed to reach 200 in five innings during the series and entered the final Test in a precarious position, needing a substantial second-innings recovery to force England to bat again. The team’s tour has also been overshadowed by an inquiry into player conduct and the recall of several members of the squad.

Smith said he could not comment on the inquiry because he had no knowledge of it, but insisted that the mood in the dressing room remained positive. He described Pakistan as being in a “transition phase” and said the side had shown promising passages without sustaining them for long enough.

“We’ve shown some real good signs but just not for long enough,” Smith said. “We need some of our guys to be playing for hours at times and in certain game plans.”

Smith asks for time with young players

Only Babar Azam and Shan Masood among Pakistan’s top seven had previously toured England. Smith singled out Saud Shakeel, Azan Awais and Shan Masood for showing encouraging signs, while stressing that the younger batters were learning in difficult conditions against an impressive England bowling attack.

“Let’s not take away [the fact that] we’ve come up against a really good bowling unit in home conditions who’ve been excellent,” Smith said. He argued that the younger players should not be judged solely on a difficult first experience in England, suggesting their progress could be assessed more fairly on a future UK tour.

“There are some serious players” in Pakistan, Smith said, calling the challenge of helping them reach their potential “a bloody exciting one”. He added that the immediate priority remained extending Pakistan’s innings far enough to give the team a chance of forcing a fourth innings.