The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made a major overhaul to the national Test squad after Pakistan suffered two heavy defeats in the ongoing three-match series against England. With the series already beyond their reach, the PCB dropped seven players and brought in five uncapped cricketers for the third Test.

Alongside the new faces, Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal were recalled for the dead rubber. Pakistan captain Babar Azam had insisted that his side now had nothing to lose and should play with freedom after conceding the series. However, the sweeping changes attracted criticism, with the move described by several quarters as a knee-jerk reaction. Babar also revealed that he had not been consulted before the squad changes were made.

The reshuffle has done little to change Pakistan’s fortunes. They were bowled out for just 133 inside 34 overs in their first innings of the third Test, continuing their struggles against England’s bowling attack.

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Saim Ayub, who was playing in the Caribbean Premier League before being called up, endured a disappointing return to Test cricket. He failed to score in either innings, prompting former England captain Nasser Hussain to question the decision to bring him into the squad at such short notice.

Ayub’s lack of recent First-Class cricket was a major concern for Nasser Hussain. The batter last featured in a First-Class match in October 2025. “The truth is he (Ayub) shouldn’t be here. He came from the CPL and hasn’t played first-class cricket in some time,” Hussain said on Sky Sports.

Hussain questioned the logic of bringing a player from overseas T20 conditions directly into a Test match in England, particularly against a Dukes ball and an experienced bowling attack led by Ollie Robinson.

The former England captain also suggested that the decision showed a lack of respect for Test cricket, which he described as the toughest format in the game. “It is just a sort of disrespect and disregard for Test match cricket,” Nasser Hussain said, highlighting the difficulty of opening the batting in English conditions.

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Hussain compared Ayub’s situation with Virender Sehwag’s experience during India’s 2011 England tour. Sehwag was flown into England midway through the Test series and played the third match at Edgbaston, where he registered a pair.

“Virender Sehwag tried it on this ground, if you remember… they flew him in. Virender Sehwag got a pair, and that’s Virender Sehwag, who’s a better, more experienced player than Saim,” Hussain added. While Hussain acknowledged that Ayub must take responsibility for his dismissal, he questioned whether the decision to throw him straight into the Test was the right one.