Pakistan captain Babar Azam has denied having any role in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s decision to send seven players, including senior batters Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq and Salman Agha, back home midway through the England tour.

Speaking on Tuesday, Babar addressed the controversy for the first time and said the decision came as a surprise to him. He claimed he only learned about it after the PCB had already taken the call.

Imam, Rizwan, Agha, Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Aamir Jamal and Muhammad Awais Zafar were withdrawn from the tour. The PCB also sacked head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul after Pakistan lost the second Test at Lord’s and went 2-0 down in the three-match series.

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Pakistan then called up seven replacements, including five uncapped players. Chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq also resigned from his position, with reports suggesting that he was not consulted about the changes.

Babar was also asked about how difficult the situation had been for him personally. He said it was “not difficult” but admitted that the developments had caught him by surprise.

The Pakistan captain was then questioned about the disciplinary inquiry launched by the PCB into Imam and Rizwan.

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Imam was reportedly suspected of faking his calf injury during the second Test. According to reports in Pakistan, PCB officials confiscated the phones of both players and checked their data as part of an investigation into their contacts during their time in London. The two players were later asked to return to Pakistan.

However, Babar said he had no information about the inquiry.

Asked whether he had been involved in any of the decisions, including the call to send the players home, Babar gave a clear response: “No.”

The third Test match between England and Pakistan is scheduled to start from September 9 at Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham.