Pakistan captain Babar Azam meets King Charles III amid England tour struggles

Pakistan Test team captain Babar Azam met UK's King Charles III in London on Wednesday and presented him with a cricket bat signed by the entire Pakistan team, even as Pakistan's tour of England continues to be overshadowed by defeats and drastic changes in the squad. Babar, along with the Pakistan squad and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi, visited Clarence House on September 2. During the meeting, Babar handed the King a bat signed by all the players. The visit came amid a difficult tour of England for Pakistan. England have already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series after winning the first Test by an innings and 103 runs and the second Test by 194 runs. Pakistan have not crossed 200 in a single innings in either of the two matches. The poor results have led to major changes in the touring party. The PCB recalled seven players, including Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha and injured opener Imam-ul-Haq. Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were also removed before the final Test.

White-ball coach Mike Hesson and bowling coach Ashley Noffke have taken charge for the third Test, which starts in Birmingham on September 9. Babar's return as Pakistan's Test captain has also come under scrutiny. After missing the first Test because of a finger injury, he returned at Lord's but scored only 8 and 6 as Pakistan were bowled out for 110 in the first innings and 194 while chasing a target of 389. The Lord's Test extended Babar's difficult run in the longest format. He has now gone 18 Test innings without a half-century, and his batting average since the start of 2023 has dropped below 21 across nine Tests.