Pakistan white-ball head coach Mike Hesson said he had no role in selecting the squad for the ongoing Test tour against England, explaining that he only assumed responsibility for the red-ball side after several players had already departed the camp.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made notable changes to the squad for the third Test against England at Edgbaston, scheduled from September 9 to 13, following defeats in the first two Tests in Leeds and Lord’s, releasing seven players and bringing in replacements.
Changes were also made to the coaching panel, with Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul released from their roles. The team will now be overseen by the white-ball coaching duo of Hesson and Ashley Noffke.
Hesson, who is currently serving as Pakistan’s interim red-ball coach alongside his responsibilities with the white-ball team, said during a recent media conference that he was not part of the red-ball selection panel when the squad for the tour was initially picked.
“I’ve never been involved in red-ball cricket at all, so I’m not part of the selection panel. I’m part of the white-ball selection panel,” Hesson said.
The New Zealander explained that he inherited a difficult situation after taking charge, with seven players having already departed the squad.
“When this side was selected for this tour, I had no involvement at all. When I took over, there were three players who had already left the squad: Rizwan, Imam and Salman Ali Agha,” he added.
With those departures leaving the squad in need of adjustments, Hesson said his immediate priority was to build a balanced combination for the third Test, particularly one capable of competing effectively in the prevailing conditions.
“From there, it was a matter of trying to find a balanced squad for us for the third Test. Obviously, we needed to make changes anyway, and we needed to find a balance that would give us a bowling attack the best chance to compete in these conditions. Certainly, that was the starting point,” he stated.
Hesson also acknowledged that he had spoken to the players who remained with the team at the hotel after taking over. However, he stressed that he could not be held responsible for the original composition of the squad because he had not been involved in its selection.
“Without doubt. I mean, I think, as I said, there were three players who had left the squad by the time I was involved. So, those who were still in the hotel, I had a chance to talk to them. But, as I said, I hadn’t been involved in picking them in the first place,” Hesson said.
The interim red-ball coach admitted that the circumstances were challenging for everyone involved, particularly with some players leaving while others were being brought into the squad at short notice.
“It’s a really difficult situation for everybody, for those coming in and those leaving. But our focus, as I said, had to turn very quickly to what we were going to do for the third Test, and that’s pretty much where my focus had to be,” he concluded.
