Pakistan’s interim red-ball coach Mike Hesson denies reports that cricketer Salman Ali Agha snubbed a meeting with King Charles III at Clarence House. The speculation followed questions over Agha’s absence from the royal engagement, which some outlets framed as a possible protest.
Hesson says the reports are “made up” and that Agha was not part of the group that would attend. He explains that Agha, along with other players, was released from the Test squad before he took charge, and therefore was informed they would not be included. He adds that the rest of the squad attending the event was already known, with no last-minute changes.
The controversy comes amid wider upheaval in Pakistan’s England tour and team selection. After heavy defeats in the first two Tests, the Pakistan Cricket Board makes multiple changes, including dropping players from the Test squad ahead of the third match. Different outlets focus on the same core dispute—why Agha was not at Clarence House—and on Hesson’s clarification that it was not a deliberate refusal.
