Pakistan cricket team players and officials met King Charles at Clarence House, the historic royal residence in London, in a gesture that has stirred mixed reactions among fans back home.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi attended the meeting alongside the squad. The monarch spoke directly with players and team officials during the visit.

Naqvi later told reporters that King Charles encouraged the Pakistani players and praised the country’s efforts for peace. He said the king also discussed cricket with him, along with Pakistan’s efforts to maintain peace and security in the country.

During the meeting, the British high commissioner told King Charles that Pakistan and Naqvi had played an important role in regional peace efforts.

Naqvi called his meeting with King Charles “very productive.” He has since left the UK and is returning to Pakistan.

The royal meeting comes at a difficult time for the national team, which is currently in England for a three-match Test series. Pakistan entered the series on the back of a 1-1 drawn series away against West Indies, but the tour of England has gone badly.

In the opening Test, Pakistan suffered an innings and 103-run defeat in Babar Azam’s absence. The second Test at Lord’s, a venue where Pakistan had not lost since 2010 and were on a two-match winning streak, brought another heavy loss. England won by 194 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

The back-to-back defeats drew strong criticism from cricket pundits. In response, the PCB carried out a major shake-up, releasing seven players along with head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul ahead of the third Test in Birmingham, which starts next Wednesday.

News of the royal meeting quickly spread on social media, drawing a wide range of reactions.

Many fans called it “A proud and memorable moment for Pakistan cricket,” while others were less impressed given the team’s recent form.

One user joked that they hoped “King Charles gave them tips on how to play,” while another dismissed the visit altogether, writing off the squad as a “team of losers led by the worst.”

Some fans, however, focused purely on the honour of the occasion, describing it as a great privilege to meet the monarch.

The third Test between Pakistan and England begins on September 9 at Edgbaston.