Babar Azam, Mohsin Naqvi & Other Pakistan Players Meet King Charles Amid Controversy, Major Shake-Up

King Charles III welcomed the Pakistan Cricket Team to Clarence House on Wednesday as the players and team officials met the British monarch during their ongoing England tour. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi was also present at the meeting.

The Royal Family shared a picture from the gathering on social media, captioning it, "This afternoon, The King welcomed the Pakistan National Cricket Team to Clarence House."

The meeting gave the Pakistan players a break from the pressure of their ongoing Test series against England. King Charles spoke with members of the squad and team officials during the visit.

According to Naqvi, the King encouraged the Pakistani players during their conversation. He also praised Pakistan's efforts towards peace and discussed cricket with the PCB chairman, as reported by Pakistani media.

Naqvi later described his interaction with King Charles as "very productive". He has since left the UK and is returning to Pakistan.

The royal meeting comes at a difficult time for Pakistan cricket. The team have lost both Tests against England so far and are 2-0 down in the three-match series.

Pakistan suffered a heavy innings and 103-run defeat in the first Test at Headingley. England then won the second Test at Lord's by 194 runs to take an unassailable lead in the series.

The back-to-back defeats led to major changes in the Pakistan set-up. The Pakistan Cricket Board sent seven players home after the Lord's Test, including Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq. Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were also released from their roles.

Mike Hesson has taken charge of the Test side for the final match, while Ashley Noffke has replaced Umar Gul as bowling coach. Several new players have also been added to the squad for the third Test in Birmingham.

The third and final Test between England and Pakistan will begin in Birmingham on September 9. Pakistan will now look to avoid a 3-0 series defeat after a difficult tour so far.

For the players, however, the meeting with King Charles offered a memorable moment away from the cricket field. The royal engagement was arranged during the break between the second and third Tests and had been planned before the series began.