Pakistan suffer humiliating batting collapse against England at Edgbaston

Pakistan's cricket team endured one of its worst days in recent memory on the opening day of the third Test at Edgbaston, collapsing to 100 runs for the loss of seven wickets after just 23 overs. The squad had already been unsettled by controversial selection changes made by the Pakistan Cricket Board, which failed to produce the intended turnaround.

Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja said the team's technique and mindset were "pretty ordinary," adding that the batters had not been proactive and instead seemed to be waiting passively for the ball to dismiss them rather than following a clear plan. He noted the pitch itself was not especially demanding.

England's seam attack performed strongly after captain Joe Root won the toss in autumnal conditions. Former England captain Michael Vaughan observed that Pakistan appeared clearly short of confidence following such a disastrous morning session, saying he felt sympathy for the team given everything it has had to deal with over the past week.

Unwanted records

With the score at just 48, all five of Pakistan's top-order batters had already been dismissed for single-figure scores — only the 12th time this has happened in Test history, and the first time it has occurred in a first innings. Pakistan is also closing in on another unwanted record: the worst average partnership for the fall of the second wicket in a series played in England, on pace to surpass a mark previously set by Australia in 1888.

Former Pakistan coach Jason Gillespie, who resigned after roughly seven months of a two-year contract, said watching the team's struggles was "heartbreaking" but not surprising. He pointed to persistent behind-the-scenes interference and external influence on decision-making as major obstacles to consistent performance during his time in charge.