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MIRPUR: Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson has called the Shere Bangla National Stadium pitch ‘unacceptable’ after his side’s seven-wicket defeat against Bangladesh here on Sunday.
Bangladesh convincingly defeated Pakistan in the opening match of the T20I series, skittling them out for 110 runs in 19.3 overs.
Following the match, Hesson commented on the pitch’s nature, remarking that the surface was not suitable for preparation. of the Asia Cup and the World Cup
“I think (the pitch) is not ideal for anybody. Teams are trying to prepare for the Asia Cup or the (T20) World Cup. It is not acceptable. It is still no excuse for some of the decisions we made with the bat. But this pitch is not up to international standards,” he remarked.
Hesson, who is on his first assignment with the Pakistan team, emphasized Fakhar Zaman’s knock, noting that it provided a litmus test of the surface.
“We got off to a little bit of a flyer. Fakhar Zaman played four or five shots. It gave us a false indication about how the surface was playing,” Mike Hesson elaborated.
“We didn’t help ourselves through the middle. We chose some poor options. When the ball started to nip through, and bounced steeply, we probably didn’t assess that it was a bit more challenging to play high-risk shots. Couple of run-outs also didn’t help,” he observed.
Mike Hesson praised the pitches prepared during the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), stating that good wickets help nurture players.
“You need good cricket wickets to develop cricketers. There was some good wickets during the BPL, to be fair. It is not up to the standard when international cricket is being played,” he stated.
The head coach highlighted the importance of good team performance despite topsy-turvy surface.
“I don’t think it helps them when they leave Bangladesh. But I think also batting first in these situations is challenging.
When you aren’t quite sure whether 100 or 130 or 150 is good enough. I don’t think (the pitch) is good for anybody. It still doesn’t take away the fact that you have to perform better in any surface. We will look at it as a team,” Mike Hesson concluded.
READ: Emon, Taskin star as Bangladesh thump Pakistan in T20I series opener
