Pakistan skipper Babar Azam saw his side lose the Test series to England as they went down by 194 runs at Lord’s. The match was shrouded in controversy after it was reported by Cricinfo and The Guardian that the visitors had threatened not to take the field after lunch on Day one.
The reason behind this was the interview done by Michael Atherton with Imran Khan’s sons, Kasim and Sulaiman. The interview was broadcast by Sky Sports during the lunch break on the opening day. In the end, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) spoke to PCB about the issue.
Q – Was Pakistan not ready to take the field after Imran Khan’s sons’ interview aired?
Babar Azam said, “No, I’ve not heard anything like this.” pic.twitter.com/O3oI7DyemA
— Sherry. (@CallMeSheri1_) August 30, 2026
BBC Sport asked Babar about the reported move, to which he said, “No, I haven’t heard of anything of that nature. Don’t know any such conversation taking place.” Coach Sarfaraz Ahmed also denied any knowledge of boycott threats during the course of a press conference after the end of play on the second day.
PCB, for its part, has asked their players not to comment on anything about Imran Khan, who has been jailed for the last three years. Former Australian cricket great Greg Chappell, along with 21 other captains, wrote a letter in support of the former Pak skipper. Pat Cummins had also backed the move and given his support.
On the field, there was nothing much to talk about as the visitors were skittled out for a mere 194 runs. Pakistani skipper himself fell early when he was surprised by a bouncer from Jofra Archer. The final game of the series will be played at Edgbaston as Joe Root’s team look for a clean sweep.
Pakistan skipper disappointed after series loss
Speaking at the end of the game, the 32-year-old said, “We tried to use the conditions to the best of our abilities after winning the toss, and we opted to bowl first. We did well as a bowling unit but weren’t up to the mark with the bat. Mohammad Abbas did well in the second innings to grab five wickets, but our batting collapsed again.”
Azam was also asked if he would change anything going into the final game, to which the reply was, “Trying to do our best with both bat and ball. We had our chances but failed to grab them. We want to do well in the last game.”