Islamabad [Pakistan], September 2 (ANI): Pakistan national selector Aaqib Javed defended the decision of a massive squad shake-up ahead of the third England Test at Edgbaston and also hinted at action against batter Imam-ul-Haq, on whom allegations of faking an injury are surfacing.Pakistan made major changes to their Test set-up ahead of the third and final Test against England from September 9, replacing almost half of their squad and releasing head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul following heavy defeats in the first two Tests against Three Lions, according to Cricinfo. The changes come after Pakistan suffered a 194-run defeat in the second Test, allowing England to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. In the first Test, Pakistan had lost by an innings margin.Javed spoke on Geo News programme ”Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, saying that the selection committee bore the responsibility of the squad chosen, while combinations used for the match lay in the realm of the captain and head coach.During the programme, Javed said that he had communicated with captain Babar Azam and coach Sarfaraz Ahmed to use pacer Ubaid Shah to add variety to the pace attack, but it was not acted upon.”When decisions are not being made according to the plan, messages are conveyed that the playing eleven needs to be corrected,” Aaqib said as quoted by Geo News, also adding that with the series already gone, there was nothing to lose by introducing fresh talent at Edgbaston and showcasing the country’s cricket talent to the world.Aaqib also defended the decision to release seven players mid-series, saying that performance and accountability were important for established players, which they could not produce on tour. He also said that the squad of 17 was selected on merit and performance, but action had to be taken after failure to produce results, as per Geo News.PCB had released seven players from the squad, including Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad after the loss at Lord’s.On the controversy regarding Imam-ul-Haq allegedly faking a calf injury, missing out on both innings with the bat, but taking throwdowns on day 4 with a taped calf, Javed said that it was a “big question mark” that a player could not bat in a Test due to a muscle pull. Imam missed both innings with the bat after injuring his calf while fielding, but his receiving throwdowns generated speculation and controversy about whether he was faking his injury or not.”Players have played with plasters on before. This is unfortunate, and action will be taken,” he added, as quoted by Geo News.On the short tenure of head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed, who was appointed to the post back in April this year, Javed said results were not the only aspect, but resource management and how they led the players was just as important, no matter how long their tenure was, as per Geo News.Pakistan have brought in five uncapped players along with Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, who have a combined experience of just 10 matches. The five uncapped players added to the squad are Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Razaullah. Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke, who are part of Pakistan’s white- ball coaching set-up as head coach and bowling coach respectively, have also joined the Test coaching staff, the report added.Earlier, former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq offered his resignation from the Pakistan men’s national selection committee following the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to make major changes to the Test squad and coaching staff during the ongoing tour of England, according to Cricinfo.According to the report, the PCB is yet to accept Misbah’s resignation. He has also decided to step down from his role as a batting consultant at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.Misbah, who retired as Pakistan’s most successful Test captain in 2017, has held several positions within the PCB over the years. He was appointed head coach and chief selector in 2019. before stepping down as chief selector in October 2020 to focus on his coaching responsibilities. He later resigned as head coach in 2021.In 2023, Misbah returned to the PCB as an advisor under then ad hoc management committee chief Zaka Ashraf. He was subsequently appointed as one of five mentors for the men’s Champions Cup in 2024 and also worked with women’s domestic teams.Last month, he coached the Pakistan Gold side to victory in the 50-over National Champions Cup in Multan under captain Shaheen Afridi.Misbah was appointed to the four-member national selector committee in March this year alongside Aaqib Javed, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Asad Shafiq.He was also working with the PCB under a contract that required him to serve as a batting consultant for 180 days a year.PCB sought explanations from selectors over the inclusion of Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq.According to Cricinfo, the notice was issued on Monday, the same day the board announced its decision to send home seven players and two coaches ahead of the third Test at EdgbastonThe selection committee was asked to submit a written explanation within 24 hours, detailing the reasons behind Rizwan and Imam’s selections and the process followed in making the decisions.From the start of 2024 until the West Indies tour, Rizwan was Pakistan’s leading Test run-scorer and also boasted the team’s highest batting average. Imam, meanwhile, had featured in only two Tests during that period but had been among the leading run-scorers in domestic cricket.The defeat at Lord’s was Pakistan’s 15th in the last 20 Tests. They currently sit at the bottom of the 1CC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 standings. The third Test will begin at Edgbaston on September 9, with Pakistan aiming to end the series on a positive note and avoid a 3-0 clean sweep.Pakistan squad for Birmingham Test against England: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, Ubaid Shah. (ANI)(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)