{
  "id": 5602320,
  "title": "Pakistan Coach Mike Hesson Denies Salman Ali Agha Snubbed King Charles Meeting; Says Reports Were 'Made Up'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/pakistan-coach-mike-hesson-denies-salman-ali-agha-snubbed-king",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-04T16:58:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/pakistan-coach-mike-hesson-denies-salman-ali-agha-snubbed-king-charles-meeting-says-reports-were-made-up"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Pakistan cricket team has faced numerous controversies since their arrival in England for a tour. Recently, reports surfaced suggesting that a Pakistani cricketer, Salman Ali Agha, refused to meet King Charles at Clarence House. In response, Pakistan interim red-ball coach Mike Hesson spoke out and vehemently denied these allegations. Hesson made this claim during an interview with BBC Sports. Agha's exclusion from the meeting at Clarence House had sparked speculation, especially after he, along with Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq, were removed from the Test squad by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) before the third match. Some reports claimed that Agha deliberately skipped the meeting as a protest against the decision. However, Hesson clarified that Agha and the other two players had already been removed from the squad prior to Hesson taking charge of the Test team. Consequently, they were informed that they would not participate in the meeting. Hesson added that the rest of the squad had already been invited and that there were no last-minute changes. He himself was listed as Pakistan's white-ball head coach before being appointed to lead the Test side for the final match against England. The controversy unfolded amid significant upheaval in Pakistan cricket. Following poor performances in the first two Tests, the PCB removed seven players from the Test squad and also relieved Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul of their coaching roles. Agha, who had captained Pakistan in the first Test, was among those dismissed from the squad. Pakistan currently trails England 2-0 in the three-match Test series after suffering heavy losses in the opening two matches. Hesson will now manage the team in the third Test, scheduled to start in Birmingham on September 9.",
  "summary": "Pakistan cricket team has been surrounded in controversies since the first day of their England tour. In the latest controversy, there are reports that a Pakistani cricketer refused to meet King Charles at Clarence House. Pakistan interim red-ball coach Mike Hesson came forward and rejected the reports that Salman Ali Agha refused to attend the meeting with King Charles III following his removal…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Coach Hesson says Pakistan players are more used to the ‘chaos’ than he is",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/coach-hesson-says-pakistan-players-are-more-used-to-the-chaos-than-he",
        "published": "2026-09-04T15:38:22.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "‘Don’t know what happened there’: New coach Hesson on Pakistan releasing Rizwan, Imam and Agha",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/dont-know-what-happened-there-new-coach-hesson-on-pakistan-releasing",
        "published": "2026-09-04T16:16:16.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}