Mike Hesson sounded relaxed but purposeful as Pakistan’s one-day squad gathered in Dhaka on Monday. The head coach has six uncapped players in his 16 and insists every one of them deserves the chance now coming their way.
“It is an exciting group,” Hesson said. “We have got some fresh faces that have done well in the Shaheens. They have earned the right to get some opportunities at the next level. We are excited as a group to involve them. I think our challenge over here is adapting to the pitch quickly. Regardless of what’s thrown at us, we have got to make sure we have got a team ready to challenge Bangladesh in their own conditions.”
Those conditions can take time to read. Visiting sides often misjudge the Shere Bangla surface, especially under lights, and Hesson knows spin-friendly tracks can sort out the unprepared. Still, the New Zealander is leaning into the test.
“Our last two one-day series have been exceptional. We have won both of those very convincingly. We played some good, solid cricket. We got runs at the top of the order, which always help. This series will be a challenge for some new players to do the same thing.”
The squad announcement raised eyebrows because Babar Azam is not on the trip. Hesson was keen to steer the conversation away from that headline.
“I don’t think anyone particularly was dropped,” he said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for us to look at some younger talent. We get very few opportunities in the calendar to give a number of promising players opportunities. You are either heading into a pinnacle or just leading into it. So it depends how many players debut here. There’s a lot of players that have been around the circuit for a while and been waiting for this opportunity.”
The coach then ran through a handful of newcomers he expects to figure during the three-match series.
“Someone like Sahibzada Farhan, who’s obviously forced his case through how well he’s done in the T20 World Cup. But he’s also done very well domestically when he’s been able to play 50-over cricket. Shamyl Hussain is an exciting talent. He was the highest run-scorer in first-class cricket. He was exceptional in List A. He’s done well for the Shaheens.
“Maaz Sadaqat has been on the fringes for a while. So these are names that, you know, you haven’t been able to see and it’s an opportunity for them to show how good they are in this series.”
Last year Hesson criticised the Mirpur pitch. He believes the recent Bangladesh Premier League showed tangible improvement.
“Without doubt, it certainly looks a far better pitch and better coverage than it has been. I think, unfortunately, the pitch here hasn’t been great for a while. But I think we saw even in the BPL that the pitches here were much better.”
The first ODI is on Wednesday, with matches two and three to follow on 13 and 15 March, all at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. For a touring side integrating six fresh caps, there are kinder places to start – but that, in Hesson’s view, is precisely the point.
