Mike Hesson takes interim charge as Pakistan regroup at Edgbaston

Mike Hesson will coach Pakistan in a Test match for the first time when the third Test against England begins at Edgbaston on 9 September. The New Zealander has taken interim charge for this match only. England lead the series 2-0. Pakistan arrive in Birmingham with a squad rebuilt in the middle of a tour.

Hesson has run Pakistan's white-ball programme. Red-ball work with them is new. "Up until now, I haven't been involved in red-ball cricket (in Pakistan) at all," he said in Birmingham. Players flew out this week and replacements flew in. Hesson said: "The last couple of days have been challenging for being in a hotel with some players coming, some players going."

Hesson's read on the attack

Hesson framed the problem as shape rather than personnel. He wants a bowling group that behaves the way Pakistan attacks used to. "From my perspective, it is about putting a balanced squad together, not only for this Test, so we actually have some variety in our attack," he said.

He was blunter about what has been missing. "Pakistan is known for the pace, unusual actions, mystery spin, we haven't really been able to present any of that," he told reporters.

The call-ups lean that way. The Pakistan Cricket Board described four of the seven new names as bowlers or bowling all-rounders. Among them are the left-arm quick Mohammad Imran Jnr and the spin-bowling all-rounder Arafat Minhas. Saad Baig, a wicketkeeper-batter, is the fifth uncapped player.

The squad he inherits

Seven players were sent home after the defeat at Lord's and seven were called up. Only two of the newcomers have played a Test. Saim Ayub has eight caps and Abdullah Fazal two, according to the PCB. The players who left the tour early were:

• Mohammad Rizwan
• Imam-ul-Haq
• Salman Ali Agha
• Ali Usman
• Aamir Jamal
• Muhammad Awais Zafar
• Khurram Shahzad

Two of those names carry weight. Salman Ali Agha captained Pakistan at Headingley. Ali Usman took five wickets in the same match. Both are home. Babar Azam captains the side at Edgbaston.

Gillespie turns on the selection panel

Jason Gillespie, a former Pakistan head coach, aimed his criticism above the players. He spoke to The Australian, and AFP carried the comments. "From the outside it looks like they are playing with fear," Gillespie said.

He then named the chairman of selectors. "There is definitely no communication between Aaqib Javed, who is meant to be chairman of selectors, and the players," Gillespie said, according to AFP. He added: "Aaqib has been chairman of selectors for the past two years. We haven't even been there. Somehow he claims it is our fault."

The margins at Lord's

Mohammad Abbas has been the exception. The seamer has taken 10 wickets in the series, the ICC reported. Nine of them came at Lord's, including a five-wicket haul in the second innings. England still set Pakistan 389 to win and took the match by 194 runs. Headingley went by an innings and 103 runs.

Hesson picked him out unprompted. Pakistan, he said, "have got to find some variety" to support Abbas, "who's done incredibly well".

Edgbaston from 9 September

The third Test runs from 9 to 13 September. England already hold the series, so the points on offer belong to the 2025 to 2027 World Test Championship cycle. Pakistan will hand out debuts in a dead rubber and hope the audition tells them something. Hesson's brief ends when the match does.