One of the dropped Pakistan players refuses to turn up for a meeting with King Charles

One Pakistan player who was dropped from the squad for the third Test against England has declined to attend a meeting with King Charles at Clarence House, according to a report in The Telegraph. The seven players who were dismissed were instructed to gather at Clarence House to meet the monarch, but one of them refused to turn up in protest against the Pakistan Cricket Board's decision to send him home midway through the tour.

The Pakistan tour of England has been marked by controversy, with the PCB making significant changes to the squad, including sending back seven players and removing head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul. They were replaced by white-ball coach Mike Hesson for the upcoming third Test. During Tuesday's meeting with King Charles, PCB chair Mohsin Naqvi also attended along with a small contingent of the dropped players.

The report did not specify which player refused to attend, stating that four of the exiled players - Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Khurram Shahzad, and Muhammad Awais Zafar - did attend. The dropped players initially hesitated to go, but complied at the direction of the PCB. Captain Babar Azam presented a signed bat to the King while Naqvi, who serves as Pakistan's interior minister, presented a gift.

England tours traditionally involve the visiting cricket team meeting the Royal family, and Pakistan has faced controversy throughout the tour, including a threatened no-show after lunch on Day 1 of the Lord's Test after Sky Sports aired an interview with former captain Imran Khan’s sons.