Pakistan’s ongoing cricket turmoil took an unusual turn on Wednesday when one of the players dropped from the Test squad reportedly refused to attend a meeting with King Charles III at Clarence House in London.
The Pakistan cricket team, along with officials and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, met the British monarch during the team’s ongoing tour of England. King Charles spoke with the players and officials during the engagement, while Pakistan captain Babar Azam reportedly presented him with a signed cricket bat.
The PCB made changes to the Test squad, releasing seven players and making major changes to the coaching and selection setup ahead of the third and final Test.
The board’s decision to overhaul the Test squad midway through the series has already drawn criticism from former players and cricket commentators, with concerns raised over the abrupt nature of the changes and their potential impact on team stability.
The meeting itself was presented as a formal royal engagement, with the PCB sharing photographs of King Charles interacting with Pakistan’s players, officials and Naqvi at Clarence House. Pakistan now faces the third Test against England with a significantly reshaped squad and a new coaching arrangement.
The refusal by an unnamed dropped player to attend the royal engagement is likely to fuel further discussion about the growing discontent surrounding the PCB’s mid-tour decisions.