Pakistan cricket team meets King Charles in London ahead of final England Test

Pakistan’s men’s cricket team met King Charles III at Clarence House in London on Wednesday, with captain Babar Azam presenting the monarch with a signed bat during the visit.

The meeting was attended by several members of the Pakistan squad, coaching staff and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, as well as the British High Commissioner Jane Marriott.

Babar, Shan Masood, Mohammad Abbas, Abdullah Shafique, Azan Awais, Sajid Khan and Mohammad Ali were among the players who attended the gathering. White-ball head coach Mike Hesson and Director High-Performance Aaqib Javed were also present.

The royal meeting came as Pakistan prepare for the third and final Test against England, with the visitors trailing 2-0 in the three-match series. The final game is scheduled to begin at Edgbaston in Birmingham on September 9.

During the meeting, Babar presented King Charles with a cricket bat bearing the signatures of members of the Pakistan team.

The Royal Family’s official social media account also shared photographs from the gathering, confirming that the King had welcomed the Pakistan national cricket team to Clarence House. The players are currently in England for the Test series, with preparations for the final match set to resume after the royal engagement.

Naqvi calls meeting ‘very productive’ as Pakistan prepare for Edgbaston

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi described his meeting with King Charles as “very productive” before leaving the United Kingdom for Pakistan.

The meeting took place against the backdrop of major changes to Pakistan’s Test setup following their defeats in the opening two matches of the series.

The PCB has announced an updated squad for the Edgbaston Test, featuring Babar Azam as captain alongside Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Razaullah, Saad Baig, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah.

Ghazi Ghori and Saad Baig are included as wicketkeeping options.

Pakistan will now look to regroup ahead of the Birmingham Test and prevent England from completing a 3-0 series sweep. The Edgbaston fixture will provide the Pakistan side with one final opportunity to salvage something from the tour after losing the first two Tests. The match is scheduled to run from September 9 to 13.