Pakistan’s men’s cricket team had a distinguished meeting with King Charles III at Clarence House in London on Wednesday. During the visit, captain Babar Azam presented the monarch with a cricket bat signed by the entire Pakistan squad.
The gathering included several players such as Babar Azam, Shan Masood, Mohammad Abbas, Abdullah Shafique, Azan Awais, Sajid Khan, and Mohammad Ali. Also present were white-ball head coach Mike Hesson, Director of High Performance Aaqib Javed, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, and British High Commissioner Jane Marriott.
This royal engagement took place as Pakistan prepared for the third and final Test against England, with the visitors trailing 2-0 in the series. The decisive match is scheduled to begin at Edgbaston in Birmingham on September 9.
Photos shared on the Royal Family’s official social media confirmed that King Charles warmly welcomed the Pakistan team to Clarence House. Following the meeting, the players resumed their preparations for the final Test match of the series.
In a significant development, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi described the meeting as “very productive” before departing the UK for Pakistan. This meeting occurred amid major changes to Pakistan’s Test squad after defeats in the first two matches.
The PCB announced an updated lineup for the Edgbaston Test, which includes captain Babar Azam alongside Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Razaullah, Saad Baig, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, and Ubaid Shah. Notably, Ghazi Ghori and Saad Baig have been named as wicketkeeping options.
Pakistan now aims to regroup and prevent England from completing a 3-0 series sweep. The upcoming Test in Birmingham, scheduled from September 9 to 13, represents their final chance to salvage pride from the tour.
