Pakistan cricket team meets King Charles III at Clarence House

The Pakistan cricket team met with King Charles III at Clarence House in London. During the visit, captain Babar Azam presented the King with a specially signed cricket bat on behalf of the team. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi was also in attendance.

The meeting occurred amidst significant internal turbulence for the squad following consecutive Test defeats against England. While several players recently released from the touring squad, including Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Khurram Shahzad, and Muhammad Awais Zafar, attended the audience, one unnamed player reportedly declined to participate in protest against their treatment by the PCB.

Interim red-ball head coach Mike Hesson dismissed rumors regarding the absence of certain players, stating that those released from the squad, such as Salman Ali Agha and Mohammad Rizwan, had been informed beforehand that they would not attend the royal event. Hesson characterized reports of discontent as people “making up their own stories.”