Joe Root hit back at the idea Pakistan have showed "no fight" in their Test series against England and described the notion as "disrespectful" to both outfits. Root was speaking ahead of England's third Test against Pakistan starting on Wednesday at Edgbaston, live on Sky Sports, with England leading 2-0 in the three-match series after dominating their opposition in both Tests. Pakistan last week took the unprecedented step of sending seven players home and calling up seven after losing heavily at Headingley and Lord's.
Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and assistant Umar Gul have also been replaced, with Mike Hesson, in charge of Pakistan's white-ball sides, and former Australia seamer Ashley Noffke overseeing the third Test at Edgbaston. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Not only that, the Pakistan Cricket Board has launched an investigation into "media reports concerning discipline and conduct". With so much disruption, Root was asked what it is like to take on a team that is offering "no fight".
For Root, that is "disrespectful" to both England and Pakistan, with the answer probably somewhere in the middle between one team playing well and one team playing poorly. "Absolutely we have found (Pakistan) a challenge," Root said. "I think that's a bit disrespectful to both Pakistan as a team and to us as a team.
I don't think we've allowed them to get into games because of how well we've played as well and how quickly we've read the situations and the surfaces that we've had. "I think it's very easy to say one team is excellent and one team is poor. Normally it's somewhere in the middle.
"If one team has been outstanding then the other team can't have been poor and vice-versa. I think it's important to live in that middle area somewhere and understand that that's not how it is. "Regardless of what's happened over the last two games this week, it's a completely different proposition for us.
"There's a very talented group of players in that dressing room and you've got to be ready for it, so we'll make sure that we are." Watch day one of England's third Test against Pakistan, from Edgbaston, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 10am on Wednesday September 9 (first ball 11am). Latest Sky Sports deals or stream contract-free with NOW.
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