Pakistan’s interim red-ball head coach Mike Hesson has distanced himself from the decision to leave senior players Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha and Imam-ul-Haq out of the squad for the third Test against England.

Pakistan have had a disastrous start to the England tour, losing the first Test by an innings and the second by 194 runs. The poor results led to major changes, with seven players dropped and head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed removed from his position.

Hesson, who was already Pakistan’s white-ball head coach, has now been given charge of the red-ball team for the third and final Test in Birmingham, which starts on September 9.

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However, he made it clear that the decision to release Rizwan, Agha and Imam had been taken before he was asked to take charge of the Test side.

The New Zealand coach said his involvement came later, when he was asked to make changes to the squad and bring in new players.

Hesson explained that he had been busy with Pakistan’s white-ball camp in Lahore before returning from Japan, where the Asian Games are currently being held. It was only after that that he was asked to take over the red-ball side.

The interim coach said his main focus was to bring more balance to the team, particularly in the bowling department.

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Some of the players brought into the squad have not played competitive cricket recently. However, Hesson believes they have the skills needed to make an impact and provide Pakistan with a better-balanced team for the final Test.

He also clarified that he had no involvement in selecting Pakistan’s Test squads for the West Indies or England series. His current role, he stressed, is only an interim arrangement.

Hesson also had positive words for Salman Agha, calling him a “fine player”. He revealed that Agha is already working towards a return by playing domestic cricket.

The comments have added to speculation that the decision to release Imam-ul-Haq, Rizwan and Agha may not have been based only on their recent form and could also be linked to disciplinary concerns.

Hesson, meanwhile, criticised what he described as fabricated stories being circulated about the Pakistan team. He said he had held detailed discussions with the players during the England tour and insisted that the squad is now fully focused on the third Test in Birmingham.