BIRMINGHAM - Pakistan interim red-ball coach Mike Hesson has distanced himself from the Pakistan Cricket Board’s dramatic mid-series overhaul, making it clear that he had no role in selecting the revamped Test squad or removing former head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul.
Hesson, who normally oversees Pakistan’s white-ball side, was brought in to take temporary charge of the Test team after England secured an unassailable 2-0 lead with heavy victories at Headingley and Lord’s. Pakistan lost the first Test by an innings and 103 runs before suffering a 194-run defeat in the second. The PCB subsequently released seven players and replaced Sarfaraz and Gul with Hesson and Ashley Noffke for the third and final Test at Edgbaston from September 9 to 13. The shake-up has been widely criticised for its timing, coming in the middle of a series.
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Hesson stressed that the decisions had already been taken when he arrived and that his immediate responsibility was simply to prepare the new-look side. “I had no involvement in selecting this side. I’m not part of the red-ball selection panel. I’m part of the white-ball selection panel,” Hesson told reporters.
He said Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq and Salman Ali Agha had already left the squad when he took over, leaving him to quickly assess the remaining players and newcomers and find a combination capable of competing in English conditions. “It was a matter of finding a balanced squad for the third Test and giving the bowling attack the best chance to compete,” he said.
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Hesson also rejected speculation surrounding Agha’s absence from Pakistan’s meeting with King Charles III at Clarence House. He said Agha and two other released players had been informed beforehand that they would not attend, insisting there had been no last-minute exclusion. The New Zealander acknowledged the turmoil but said Pakistan’s players had responded positively. “The last couple of days have been challenging,” he said, adding that the players were “probably more used to a little bit of chaos” than he was. With five uncapped players among the replacements, Hesson sees the upheaval as an opportunity to rediscover Pakistan’s traditional Test identity, particularly through pace, unconventional bowling and mystery spin. “Pakistan is known for the pace, unusual actions, mystery spin, we haven’t really been able to present any of that,” he said. For Hesson, the immediate challenge is not to dwell on the upheaval but to turn it into a competitive unit. With Pakistan’s batting failing to reach 200 in any of its four innings so far, restoring confidence and balance will be crucial if the visitors are to prevent England from completing a 3-0 sweep.
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