Pakistan's interim Test head coach Mike Hesson has finally spoken up amid the ongoing turmoil in Pakistan cricket, making clear that he had no hand in the decision to drop senior players from the Test squad. Speaking on Friday, Hesson said the call to leave out experienced campaigners Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha and Imam-ul-Haq had already been made before he even stepped into the role.
Mass shake-up followed back-to-back defeats to England
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) moved to overhaul the squad after the team suffered heavy defeats in the opening two Tests of the ongoing series against England. Pakistan lost the first Test by an innings, then went down by 194 runs in the second. Following those two defeats, the board dropped seven players from the squad and sacked head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed. In the middle of that upheaval, Hesson, who serves as head coach of Pakistan's limited-overs side, was asked to take charge of the Test team for the third and final match of the series, starting September 9 in Birmingham.
"That decision was made before I arrived": Hesson
Addressing the controversy at a media conference in Birmingham, Hesson said, "By the time I was handed responsibility for the final Test, Rizwan, Agha and Imam had already been dropped from the squad." He added that he did not have full visibility into how those calls were made, since he was not with the Test setup at the time. Hesson explained that a limited-overs camp was already underway in Lahore, and he himself had just returned from Japan, host of the upcoming Asian Games, when he was asked to take over management of the Test side.
Hesson wants a more balanced bowling attack
Now that he has taken over, Hesson made clear his focus is on restoring balance to the side. He explained that he has decided to make a few changes to the squad and wants a bowling attack built around variety, including a few allrounders. The remarks suggest Hesson is willing to keep experimenting with the team combination regardless of how contentious the recent shake-up has been. Attention now turns to what playing eleven he fields for the third Test starting September 9, and whether this reshuffled Pakistan side can salvage some pride against England.
