Pakistan made sweeping changes to its Test setup during the ongoing England tour in August 2026 after losing the first two matches. The Pakistan Cricket Board removed Test head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed following defeats at Headingley by innings and 103 runs and at Lord’s by 194 runs. White-ball head coach Mike Hesson was handed charge of the Test side as Pakistan prepared for the final Test of the series.
Seven players were also sent home from the tour and replaced by new faces, including five uncapped cricketers. Speaking on the BBC Stumped Podcast, Mushtaq said he would be proud to take up the challenge of coaching Pakistan, but stressed that greater respect and stability would be essential.
“I would love to do that for my country, of course. Especially at this time. Obviously, I need only one thing. Sometimes you get scared of working for your own country when the people don’t respect you and they sack you because of a few emotional decisions here and there… When you see those things, people getting sacked on a tour, you get worried and scared,” said Mushtaq.
The removed players were Muhammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Aamir Jamal and Muhammad Awais Jafar. They were replaced by Saim Ayub, Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Mohammed Imran Jr, Said Baig, Mohammad Imran and Razaullah.
“I think those are the things that, if you can get sorted, every Pakistani cricketer who is coaching, not only myself, would love to serve the country. This is the best time for me to take that challenge, bring those players to their best, make them confident about international cricket and build a unit that can genuinely challenge opposition teams,” Mushtaq added.
Pakistan are going through a difficult phase, having already lost the three-match Test series against England with one game still to play. The visitors suffered a heavy innings-and-103-run defeat in the opening Test at Headingley before losing the Lord’s Test by 194 runs.
Mushtaq also criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board’s decision to make sweeping changes to the squad and coaching staff during the ongoing tour. Seven players were removed from the squad, while changes were also made to the support staff.
“Changing seven players and the management, especially with the tour still going on, I feel that this is not the right thing,” Mushtaq said, adding that he was still waiting for clarity from the PCB over the reasons behind the decisions.
“This has never happened in Pakistan cricket before. Obviously I’m hurt as an ex-cricketer, as a Pakistani, these things should not happen. Sarfaraz and Umar Gul, they are some of the most experienced cricketers. They serve the country very well. Sarfaraz was a captain also. If you want to sack them, obviously you have to sack them after the tour,” Mushtaq added.
He further urged the board to avoid making impulsive decisions during a difficult period for Pakistan cricket.
“This is the time to stay calm, don’t make rash decisions.”
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