Pakistan cricketers 'forced' to miss out on meeting King Charles in England

Pakistan cricket is not without controversy. After the defeat in the first two Tests against England, when criticism of the exclusion of seven cricketers from the squad in the middle of the series intensified, the Pakistan team's meeting with King Charles has come under renewed discussion.

British media The Telegraph reported that some of the cricketers who were excluded from the team were forced to attend an event in London to meet Britain's King Charles. The media claimed that they were asked to go there out of fear that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) might be embarrassed if the attendance at the event held at Clarence House was low.

According to the report, the situation was quite uncomfortable for the excluded cricketers. Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Khurram Shehzad and Awais Zafar were present at the event. However, another cricketer refused to attend the event in protest at being excluded from the team in the middle of the series. His name was not disclosed by The Telegraph.

Some of the seven cricketers had already been sent back to Pakistan. On the other hand, some of the players who were called up to replace them had not yet reached England. As a result, there were fears that the Pakistan team's attendance at the important royal event might be less than expected.

At the event, King Charles spoke to the Pakistani players and officials and encouraged the team, which had gone through a difficult time on and off the field. Pakistan captain Babar Azam presented him with a signed bat. PCB Chairman and Pakistan's Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi also presented the king with a gift.

Cricket teams that tour England are usually invited to meet a member of the British royal family or the country's prime minister. However, this time, new questions have been raised about the presence of cricketers who were left out of the Pakistani team due to internal tensions.