Pakistani player left out of squad, refuses to meet King Charles III amid England tour chaos | Cricket news
The Pakistan cricket team has been hit with further controversy after players who were dropped from the Test squad were asked to attend a meeting with King Charles III at Clarence House.According to a report from The Telegraph, the Pakistan Cricket Board reportedly wanted to avoid an embarrassingly small turnout after making major changes to the touring squad. Another dropped player even refused to attend in protest.
Dropped players still attend the Royal Meeting
Seven players and several coaches were removed from the touring group following Pakistan’s defeat by England at Lord’s and Headingley. Despite their exclusion, the players were reportedly instructed to attend the royal engagement.Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Khurram Shehzad and Muhammad Owais Zafar attended the match, although the players preferred to stay away due to unrest within the team.King Charles spoke with the players and officials and encouraged them during the difficult round. Pakistan captain Babar Azam He presented him with a signed bat, while PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi also presented the king with a gift.Naqvi described the meeting as positive and said that the king praised Pakistan’s contribution to peace.
Unrest continues around the Pakistani team
The royal meeting came during a major change in Pakistani cricket. The team faced further controversy at Lord’s when they threatened not to return after lunch if an interview with the sons of former captain and Prime Minister Imran Khan was broadcast.The interview was broadcast, but Pakistan returned to the field before losing the match. The defeat was followed by the dismissal of seven players and coaches, while coach Sarfraz Ahmed was dismissed.New Zealander Mike Hesson has since been brought in to captain the team for the remainder of the series.
