Pakistan cricket has once again been in the middle of a row after many major changes to the national team have been made during the current tour of England. Rashid Latif, former Pakistan captain, has called Babar Azam a “dummy captain” and questions his leadership after the Pakistan Cricket Board sent a number of players back home and has made major changes to the coaching staff.
The developments have come after Pakistan’s poor performance in the Test series against England. The visitors suffered defeats in the first two matches of the tour and England are in a position to take the three-match series clean-sweep with England in a strong position.
Pakistan's recent struggles have reignited the debate on leadership, team selection and national team direction and team composition. Latif has a very clear, open mouth attitude toward Pakistan cricket and he did not hold back when talking about the latest developments.
Rashid Latif Questions Babar Azam's Leadership
Latif said Babar should have resigned from captaincy after PCB had sent several players back home from England.
Latif has observed that the large number of changes within the squad raised serious questions about the authority of the captain and his role within the team management structure.
“Babar should have resigned here. Half of the team has been sent back home. If I were in his position I would have given up the captaincy. You have become a dummy captain. There’s a difference between a leader and a captain,” Latif said.
His former Pakistan captain said that a good leader should be willing to stand up for players and the support staff when big decisions are being made.
Latif’s comments only added to the current debate of Pakistan cricket - where leadership, coaching personnel and player selection has been frequently subject to controversy.
Seven Players Sent Back Home
Pakistan’s team management sent seven players back home after the team's poor performances. Salman Agha, who had led Pakistan in the first Test, along with Imam-ul-Haq and experienced wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, was among them.
Latif conceded Imam's situation was different because of injury concerns but questioned the decision to make such widespread changes to the touring group.
He also expressed his concern about the coaching staff changes: Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul are removed from their roles.
“The coach who won the Champions Trophy has been sent back. You sent Umar Gul back. You are not standing up for your team. And your coach has been sidelined, and you are sitting quietly,” Latif said when he criticised the captain’s role.
He also said the situation was emblematic of the long-standing problem of Pakistan cricket that captains do not always have complete authority over important team decision making.
Major Changes in Pakistan's Coaching Setup
The Pakistan Cricket Board has also made significant changes to the coaching structure of the Test team. Mike Hesson is appointed coach of the team and Ashley Nofke will assist him.
The changes suggest another attempt by Pakistan to revamp the team after a bad run of results.
Pakistan cricket has gone through a lot of changes in the last few years and coaches, captains and selection practices have been questioned too. The recent shift has raised the question again of whether continuous change can ever make a long-term solution to the team’s problems.
Rashid Latif “Babar Azam should’ve resigned as captain after this. Half of your team was released but he didn’t say a word. That’s the difference between a captain and a leader
— Pavilion Post (@CricinsightsX) September 1, 2026
This is shamelessness. You are a dummy captain. It would be better to lose than to continue like this” https://t.co/CVUQ1KUJ0u pic.twitter.com/79IxABJk5V
For players, frequent management change can also create uncertainty. A new coaching staff often changes strategies, expectations and selection preferences and players may need to adapt quickly, so a new coaching staff brings new strategies, expectations and selection preferences to a new strategy, so they may have to adapt and that can be hard for players to achieve.
Pakistan's Struggles Continue in England
The PCB's decisions came after Pakistan had a difficult start to the Test series against England.
Pakistan lost the opening Test by an innings and 103 runs under Salman Agha. The defeat put pressure on the team and the team made more changes ahead of the second Test.
Babar Azam returned to the playing XI for the second match, while Agha did not retain his place in the side. However, the change in leadership and personnel did not provide the desired result.
Pakistan once again suffered a heavy defeat, losing the second Test by 194 runs at Lord's.
The back-to-back losses continued Pakistan's poor performance overseas Test cricket record. In SENA countries - South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia - the team has not won a Test match since 2018 and rarely made it to the finals there.
The defeats have increased criticism of Pakistan’s batting, bowling and overall team management.
England Aim for a Series Clean Sweep
With victory in the first two Tests, England are now preparing to complete a 3-0 series sweep against Pakistan.
The third and final Test is scheduled for Birmingham from September 9-September 13. England will enter the contest confident after defeating the two first games.
Pakistan, meanwhile, will look to avoid a clean sweep and end the series on a positive note.
Now the players who have joined the touring group will have some time to adjust to English conditions before the final Test. Acclimatisation is a must in terms of players who have recently arrived in the United Kingdom.
Pressure Mounts on Pakistan Cricket
Babar Azam and Rashid Latif’s row, at present, shows the pressure on Pakistan cricket. A poor series result has led to the removal of players and coaching staff, and there are questions now about the captain’s authority.
Latif's “dummy captain” comment will likely trigger strong reactions from the Pakistan cricket fans and experts. Babar has been one of Pakistan’s most famous cricketers, but the former captain’s comments underline how much he is in the spotlight in the game.
The focus will again be on performances on the field as Pakistan prepares for the last test in Birmingham. But the subject of the decision of team selection, the PCB's decisions and the decision of who will be holding the captaincy and what to do at the end of the game is far from settled.
The match will provide Pakistan with an opportunity to rebuild some pride after two heavy defeats. Will this team's changes to the team be able to be an improvement?
