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Pakistan’s struggles on cricket field appear to be accompanied by growing concerns within the dressing room. After suffering back-to-back Test defeats, captain Babar Azam has come under increasing pressure, with questions being raised over both his leadership decisions and his recent performances with the bat.

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has now made a major claim about the team’s internal situation. According to Basit, relations between Babar and star fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi have not been particularly smooth. He believes the reported tension between the two senior players has contributed significantly to Pakistan’s difficulties over the past few years.

Pakistan’s captaincy has also witnessed considerable instability in recent times. The leadership role has shifted between several prominent players, including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi and Shan Masood, reflecting the uncertainty surrounding the team’s direction.

Basit feels one of the biggest setbacks for Pakistan came when differences over leadership reportedly emerged between Babar and Shaheen.

"Babar Azam is not a strong captain. I am not speaking about this based on the performance in England. He has made many wrong decisions. The main reason for Pakistan cricket's downfall is the rift between Shaheen and Babar. When there was a falling-out between the two over the captaincy, Pakistan cricket was ruined that day," Basit said on the 'Game Plan' show.

"Many statements were made, saying Shaheen is a very good bowler and Babar is a very good batter. The rift, whoever created that, the side effects can be seen now," he added.

Pakistan Cricket Board has meanwhile responded to the team’s latest setback with major changes ahead of the third and final Test against England. Almost half of the squad has been altered, while the coaching setup has also undergone a shake-up with Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul leaving their respective positions.

The overhaul comes after Pakistan were beaten by 194 runs in the second Test, a result that handed England an unbeatable 2-0 advantage in the series.

Pakistan have subsequently added five uncapped players to the squad. Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal have also been brought into the group, despite the pair having only 10 international matches between them. The uncapped players included in the squad are Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Razaullah.

The Test coaching staff has also been strengthened. Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke, who are part of Pakistan’s white-ball coaching setup as head coach and bowling coach respectively, have been added to the Test support staff.

Seven players, meanwhile, have been released from the squad. The list includes Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad.

With Pakistan already out of contention in the series, the sweeping changes underline the scale of the crisis facing the team as the management looks to identify a new combination and restore stability.