'Disrespectful to both teams' - Joe Root hits back at Pakistan no-fight claims

Root Calls "No-Fight" Label Disrespectful as Pakistan Face Fallout Before 3rd Test

England cruise into Edgbaston with a 2-0 lead and the series wrapped up, but Joe Root just fired back at anyone suggesting Pakistan didn't fight. With the PCB having nuked their own squad—sending seven players home, axing coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul, and dropping in Hesson + Noffke for this one—there's been a lot of chatter about Pakistan "not trying." Root shut it down hard.

His line? Blaming the losses purely on Pakistan's lack of effort is disrespectful to both sides. England simply outplayed them, and in Test cricket it's rarely black-and-white. "If one team's outstanding, the other can't be poor," he said. Straight talk from a bloke who knows what it takes.

He also backed Emilio Gay to keep opening despite a shaky 23 average this summer, pointing to the brutal low-scoring conditions and Gay's vital half-centuries. But make no mistake—Bethell and Cox are circling as alternatives. Selection pressure is real.

Pakistan's got a talented group and Root's warning his own side not to sleep. Different game this week. Watch this space.

Source: Crictracker