Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson will continue to look after the country’s Test team as interim head coach until the end of the current World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
Hesson took charge of the red-ball side during Pakistan’s difficult tour of England two months ago, after former coach Sarfaraz Ahmed was removed midway through the series.
A source in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed it to Indian news agency PTI that Hesson had agreed to continue in the role and would also guide the team during next year’s Test series against New Zealand.
“Hesson will also be interim head coach for next year’s Test series against New Zealand. The board and head coach have both conveyed this to the players as well,” the source said.
Hesson’s future with Pakistan cricket
Hesson joined Pakistan as white-ball head coach in May 2025 before taking temporary charge of the Test team. However, his long-term future with the PCB will be reviewed after next year’s World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
“Hesson’s association with Pakistan cricket will be reviewed after next year’s World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. It will also then be decided who will be the head coach of the Test side for the next cycle of the World Test Championship,” the source added.
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Questions over Hesson’s influence
Hesson has become a controversial figure in Pakistan cricket, with several former players and experts questioning the amount of authority he has been given by the PCB, particularly in team selection and other cricketing decisions.
Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam also recently admitted that he does not have a say in selection matters. He said his responsibility is to make the best use of the 15-16 players selected by the team management and selection committee.
The PCB source also acknowledged that chairman Mohsin Naqvi has great faith in Hesson and trusts him with important cricketing decisions. However, Hesson’s frequent changes to the team and players across formats have not gone down well with everyone in Pakistan cricket.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
