Pakistan Lord’s collapse sends coaching shake-up, Hesson set for Test role

Pakistan’s Test cricket crisis has deepened following their heavy defeat to England at Lord’s, with the team reportedly heading for a major coaching overhaul ahead of the third and final Test at Edgbaston.

White-ball head coach Mike Hesson is reportedly set to oversee the Test side Pakistan’s 194-run defeat at Lord’s on Sunday gave England an unassailable 2–0 lead in the three-match series.

According to a Geo News report, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has asked Hesson to look after the red-ball squad, with the New Zealander expected to be present in the dressing room for the Edgbaston Test starting on September 9 in Birmingham. Hesson initially traveled to London with Pakistan’s director of high performance, Aqib Javed. However, after the team’s latest setback, his role has reportedly expanded to include the Test team.

The development has also raised fresh questions over the future of former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, who is currently the Test head coach. Geo News reported that Sarfaraz could be removed from his position after the England tour, while Hesson could take over the Test coaching responsibilities.

“It is highly likely that Mike Hesson will also take over the coaching duties of the Test team after the ODI and T20 series and Sarfaraz Ahmed will be recalled from coaching the Test team after the England tour,” the report said.

The PCB has not officially confirmed Hesson’s reported involvement with the Test side or indicated whether he will take up the role permanently. It also remains unclear whether his presence at Edgbaston would be a one-off deal or the first step in a wider restructuring of Pakistan’s coaching set-up.

If Hesson ends up taking charge across formats, Pakistan could have one head coach overseeing both the red-ball and white-ball teams. For now, however, no such decision has been officially announced.

The reported coaching changes come amid other changes in Pakistan’s Test squad. Batters Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan were sent home after defeating Lord while Saim Ayub and Arafat Minhas were called up for the final Test.

Pakistan’s batting has been one of the biggest problems during the series. The visitors were bowled out for 194 while chasing 389 in the second innings at Lord’s, with Saud Shakeel providing their strongest resistance before being caught at the boundary for 97.

Shakeel’s dismissal ended Pakistan’s hopes of an unlikely fightback and left him with a painfully short century. His 97 is the highest individual score by either team in the series so far.

England needed just 18 wickets to complete their 194-run victory, with Imam unable to bat again after suffering a calf injury on the opening day.

The win also secured England’s first Test series win since December 2024 and extended Pakistan’s struggles with the bat. Sarfaraz had earlier admitted that the team’s inability to spend enough time at the crease was a major problem.

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Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

31 Aug 2026 13:17 IST