During their current tour of England, the Pakistani Test team was granted a prestigious royal reception, highlighted by Test skipper Babar Azam gifting a customized cricket bat to King Charles III at London’s Clarence House. Held on September 2, the official meeting was attended by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, alongside various players and coaching staff. This royal interaction took place amidst a challenging Test campaign for the visiting side, who find themselves 2-0 down against England with just the final match left to play.
Babar Azam hands over autographed bat to King Charles III
At the Clarence House reception, Babar offered the British monarch a cricket bat bearing the autographs of all members of the touring Pakistani contingent. King Charles inspected the gift and inquired of the Pakistan skipper if the bat was crafted from Pakistani willow. Video of this warm conversation swiftly went viral across online platforms, gaining widespread traction among cricket enthusiasts globally.
A number of Pakistani cricketers attended the gathering, such as Shan Masood, Mohammad Abbas, Abdullah Shafique, Azan Awais, Sajid Khan, and Mohammad Ali. They were accompanied by limited-overs head coach Mike Hesson and High-Performance Director Aaqib Javed. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi noted that King Charles interacted warmly with the squad, offering motivating words to uplift them during this tough tour.
Watch the moment here:
King Charles was gifted a signed bat by Pakistan’s national cricket team, during their visit to Clarence House in London today. pic.twitter.com/8CCUGiLx4S
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) September 2, 2026
Tough England tour for the Pakistan side
This royal audience transpired during a highly demanding phase of Pakistan’s tour. The hosts, England, have established a dominant 2-0 lead in the three-game Test series, claiming an innings-and-103-run triumph in the opener, followed by a decisive 194-run win in the second match. Meanwhile, Babar’s batting form has slumped following his recovery from a finger injury, managing mere scores of 8 and 6 at Lord’s, stretching his streak to 18 consecutive Test innings without crossing fifty.
In response to their struggles, the Pakistan team management has adjusted the roster mid-tour, calling up Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, and Imam-ul-Haq. Furthermore, coaching changes saw the departures of Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul, with Hesson and Ashley Noffke assuming control of coaching duties before the final Test begins.
