Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali claimed that the current white-ball coach Mike Hesson is not in the good books of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Ever since the Green Shirts’ early elimination from the T20 World Cup, anger has been growing against the former New Zealand head coach, with most of the blame directed at him. On Saturday, Pakistan selector Aaqib Javed seemingly threw Hesson under the bus, saying that the committee was not responsible for the team that played in the World Cup, as the bulk of the selections were made by the coach.
Reacting to Javed’s press conference, Basit said that Hesson will no longer play a major role in team selection, and he can forget about picking all 15 members of the squad. Recently, former Pakistan captains Misbah-ul-Haq and Sarfaraz Ahmed were added to the selection commitee and Basit believes that these two greats would never take orders from Hesson.
“Mike Hesson is not in the good books. I am not talking about Mohsin Naqvi. I am talking about people who advise Naqvi. Hesson is not in their good books. The decision has to be taken by the chairman,” said Basit Ali on the ‘Game Plan’ YouTube show.
“The winds that were blowing in favour of Mike Hesson have now changed. Misbah-ul-Haq and Sarfaraz Ahmed will never work under Mike Hesson. I am willing to give it in writing. Hesson can now forget that he will get to choose the 15 members of the squad,” he added.
In the T20 World Cup, Pakistan, led by Salman Ali Agha, failed to reach the semi-finals. This was the fourth ICC event in a row that the Green Shirts failed to reach the last four stage. Throughout the tournament, Hesson and Agha were blamed for not utilising the resources properly.
Anger grows against Hesson
Basit further raised questions about the appointment of Hesson as head coach, saying the PCB should have considered better options and not been swayed by the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He also said that the upcoming third and final ODI against Bangladesh will be very crucial for Hesson, as a series loss might end his tenure.
“Why was he made the coach? You made him the coach based on his performance in the Pakistan Super League. Anyway, the third and final ODI against Bangladesh is very important for Hesson,” said Basit.
Earlier, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar had also lashed out at Hesson, calling him not the ideal person to do the role. Mohammad Hafeez, Sana Mir, Umar Gul and Saqlain Mushtaq have also criticised Hesson in the past.
Under Hesson, Pakistan also failed to win the Asia Cup after losing to India in the final. In the T20 World Cup, Pakistan defeated only Sri Lanka among the bigger teams, losing to India and England, while the game against New Zealand was abandoned due to rain.
