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LAHORE: Pakistan’s newly appointed head coach, Mike Hesson, has expressed confidence in the abilities of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, calling them vital to the team’s white-ball strategy.
Both senior players were previously dropped for the T20I series against New Zealand earlier this year, a move by the selection committee aimed at giving younger players international exposure.
Rizwan, after leading the side in just two series, was also relieved of T20I captaincy duties, with Salman Ali Agha stepping in as the new skipper.
Speaking to the media here, Hesson praised Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan’s abilities while highlighting specific areas for improvement.
“Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are top-class players. Both are a part of our white-ball plans,” He told reporters.
“There are areas where they can improve, and they are working on those,” he added.
Mike Hesson emphasised an aggressive brand of cricket, stating that they are very clear about the style of play they want to adopt.
“We want to play aggressive cricket, but also smart cricket. We’re very clear about the brand of cricket we want to play,” Mike Hesson explained.
Mike Hesson’s first assignment will be a three-match T20I series against Bangladesh.
“Our aim is to begin this new journey on a positive note and perform well to improve our rankings,” he said of the home series against Bangladesh.
The new coach further lauded Bangladesh as a competitive opponent and ruled out any complacency, “They are a strong side and play good cricket. We will not take them lightly.”
Looking ahead to the T20 World Cup, Hesson concluded, “We are fully focused on preparing well for the World Cup and are optimistic about putting in a strong performance during the tournament.”
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