Pakistan Playing XI 3rd Test vs England 2026
Pakistan playing XI 3rd Test vs England 2026 details remain unconfirmed, but the squad has been radically reshaped for Edgbaston. The PCB released seven players after the Lord’s defeat and brought in seven replacements, including five players uncapped at Test level. Captain Babar Azam remains in the updated 17-man squad.
Pakistan playing XI 3rd Test vs England 2026: what is known
The third and final Test starts at Edgbaston on Wednesday, 9 September, with play scheduled for 11:00 BST. England have already secured the series after winning at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs and at Lord’s by 194 runs, leaving Pakistan 2-0 down.
No official Pakistan XI was available at the time of verification on 8 September. Any exact eleven circulating before the toss should therefore be treated as a prediction unless it comes directly from the PCB or the match’s official team sheet.
Why were 7 Pakistan players dropped for Edgbaston?
The PCB’s wording was that seven players were “released” after the Lord’s Test: Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad. Calling all seven “dropped” overstates what the official statement actually said.
The board did not publish a player-by-player explanation for every release. The changes came immediately after two heavy defeats, while Reuters reported that Imam had been injured; the safe conclusion is that Pakistan made a major mid-series overhaul after losing the series, not that one verified reason applied to every player.
Who are the 5 uncapped players in Pakistan’s squad?
The five Test-uncapped additions are Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran — also known as Imran Randhawa — and Razaullah. Arafat has already represented Pakistan in ODIs and T20Is, so “uncapped” here means uncapped specifically in Test cricket.
Saad Baig is a wicketkeeper-batter and was the PCB’s player of the tournament in the 2025/26 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. The two capped additions are Saim Ayub, who had eight Tests when selected, and Abdullah Fazal, who had played two.
Is Babar Azam playing the 3rd Test?
Babar Azam is captain of the updated 17-man Edgbaston squad, so he is available for selection. He missed the first Test at Leeds after being struck by a ball during a warm-up match, but he was retained in the England tour group and is not among the seven players released after Lord’s.
Availability is not the same as a confirmed starting place. Until Pakistan publish the XI, the most accurate wording is that Babar is in the squad and expected to lead if selected, rather than stating as a fact that he will definitely be in the eleven.
Pakistan’s updated Edgbaston squad
The PCB named: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Razaullah, Saad Baig, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah.
The coaching staff also changed. Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul were released from the backroom group, with Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke named as replacements. That makes the Edgbaston reset broader than a simple playing-squad reshuffle.
Can Pakistan avoid a 3-0 whitewash?
Yes. A win or a draw at Edgbaston would prevent a 3-0 series sweep, although England have already won the series. Pakistan’s task is to produce a substantially stronger batting performance after being dismissed for under 200 in both innings at Lord’s.
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What selection questions remain before the toss
The biggest unresolved choice is how many of the seven incoming players go straight into the eleven. Pakistan can change personnel substantially, but the PCB has not published a final batting order, wicketkeeper choice or bowling combination, so those details remain selection questions rather than verified facts.
That is especially relevant to anyone searching for a predicted XI: a plausible team can be constructed from the 17-man squad, but publishing it as official before the toss would be misleading.
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FAQs
Is Babar Azam playing the 3rd Test?
He is in Pakistan’s updated squad and remains captain. The final XI had not been officially announced at the time of verification.
Why were seven Pakistan players dropped?
The PCB said they were released after the Lord’s Test but did not give one official reason for every player. The overhaul followed two heavy defeats.
Who are Pakistan’s five Test-uncapped additions?
Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran (Imran Randhawa) and Razaullah.