Pakistan coach Mike Hesson breaks silence after mid-England series change, says ‘I really don’t know what happened’ | Cricket news
Pakistan’s interim red-ball coach Mike Hesson has distanced himself from the decision to release seven players from the Test squad ahead of the third and final Test against England, saying three senior players had already been sent home before he was asked to take charge.The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made sweeping changes after the visitors suffered heavy defeats in the first two Tests. England won the opening match of the series by an innings and 103 runs at Headingley before sealing a 194-run win at Lord’s to take a 2-0 lead.Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Imam-ul-Haq, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Mohammad Owais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad have been relieved from the squad, while head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Omar Gul have been relieved of their duties. Hesson was then handed charge of the Test side for the Edgbaston match, starting on 9 September.
Hassoun clears the air over Radwan, Agha, and Imam
Speaking to the media in Birmingham on Friday, Hesson said he had no role in the decision to release Rizwan, Agha and Imam, and insisted the trio had already left the team when he was approached to manage the Test team.“When they (Pakistan Cricket Board) told me if I could manage the team for the final Test, those three players (Rizwan, Agha and Imam) had already been released from the team and (were) on their way home. So, I don’t really know what happened there,” Hesson said.While he made it clear that he was not involved in the decision regarding the three senior players, Hesson admitted that he had a role in reshaping the rest of the team.He said: “I participated in releasing the rest of the players and bringing in some new players.”Hesun explained that he had recently returned from Japan after being involved in Pakistan’s white-ball setup when the PCB asked him to take over the red-ball team.“We already had a white-ball camp in Lahore and I had just returned from Japan, where the Asian Games are being held, when I was asked if I could manage the red-ball team,” he added.
Hesson wants more variety in his bowling attack
With Pakistan already out of contention for the Test series, Hesson said his priority is to create a more balanced squad for the final.“I decided to make some changes in the squad to bring balance to the team and my focus was on having a diverse bowling attack and where we have two all-rounders,” he said.The renewed team includes Saim Ayoub and Abdullah Fazal, along with players who have not played before, Arafat Minhas, Muhammad Imran Jr., Saad Baig, Muhammad Imran, and Ridaullah.
