Pakistan captain Babar Azam presented King Charles III with a cricket bat signed by members of the national squad as the monarch welcomed Pakistan’s cricket team at Clarence House on Wednesday.
The royal reception offered a welcome moment of encouragement for a Pakistan side enduring a difficult Test tour, with the team preparing for the third and final Test against England at Edgbaston from September 9.
Babar, accompanied by several members of the touring squad, handed the King the specially signed bat during the meeting. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi also presented the monarch with a gift.
King Charles welcomed Pakistan’s players, support staff and PCB officials at his London residence. Photographs of the gathering were later shared through the British royal family’s official social media channels.
Among those attending were Shan Masood, Mohammad Abbas, Abdullah Shafique, Azan Awais, Sajid Khan andu Mohammad Ali. White-ball head coach Mike Hesson and high-performance director Aaqib Javed were also present, along with British High Commissioner Jane Marriott.
Several players who were left out of Pakistan’s squad for the final Test also attended the reception, including Ali Usman, Awais Zafar, Aamer Jamal and Khurram Shahzad.
The visit came against the backdrop of a major shake-up in Pakistan’s Test setup following two heavy defeats to England. England clinched the three-match series after winning the opening Test by an innings and 103 runs and the second by 194 runs.
In response, the PCB made sweeping changes to the squad, sending seven players home and replacing head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed with Mike Hesson for the final Test.
Naqvi, who attended the royal engagement, later described his meeting with King Charles as “very productive”. According to the PCB chairman, the King encouraged the Pakistani players and praised Pakistan’s efforts towards peace and security.
For Pakistan, the Clarence House reception provided a brief break from the pressure surrounding the Test series. The focus now returns to the cricket field, where the visitors will seek to avoid a clean sweep and restore some pride in the final Test at Edgbaston.
