Pakistan are set to face India on Sunday, which will be their first encounter with a high-ranked team since losing 4-1 to New Zealand in April. Head coach Mike Hesson is well aware of the challenge that lies ahead of him, and one that is approaching nearer by the minute. Pakistan still have a few questions that need answering, and a few of those were thrown Hesson’s way during the press conference ahead of Pakistan’s Asia Cup opener against Oman.
When asked what he thinks of the volatility in the batting lineup, especially with youngsters being somewhat inconsistent, Pakistan’s head coach said the young batters are still developing and it would be unfair to expect them to come charging in every game.
“It is very much a developing batting line-up,” he said. “There are a number of batters who can win you the game on their day, but they don’t have as many good days as you’d like at the moment. That is very fair. The thing for us is the sum of the parts as a batting group.
“Every game bar one in Sharjah, we were probably 20 runs above par. Even though there are a number of players who didn’t do well on particular occasions, I’m more interested in what we end up with and how we get there. In the tri-series final, we got 140 when 120 was plenty on the pitch.”
One particular concern was how Pakistan batters will fare against Indian spinners, who shared six wickets between them against Hong Kong. Dubai’s surface has played a tad two-paced in both Asia Cup games so far, which only amplifies the challenge spinners like Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel will pose. Hesson, however, was satisfied with Pakistan’s preparation, having played perhaps the best spin attack, of Afghanistan that is, in the warmup to the tournament.
“I don’t know where that has come from,” Hesson said about the perceived struggle against spin. “We have played against Rashid [Khan] and Noor [Ahmed]. We have played against possibly the best wrist-spin attack in the world [in the tri-series final on Sunday] on a [Sharjah] surface that has spun square and managed to score 75 more runs than the opposition. I’m not sure where that has come from.”
Under Hesson, Pakistan will face India for the first time. The clash, like always, is expected to be nerve-wracking but the coach hopes his side will focus on the game rather than the noise in the lead up to the match.
“Look I’ve certainly watched many games from afar with other teams or while commentating,” Hesson said. “Being part of a highly-charged event is going to be exciting. From my perspective, just like anytime you enter the final of a world event or whatever, it is about keeping everybody focused on the job at hand. That will be no different.
“We know India are obviously hugely confident and rightfully so. But we are very much focused on improving as a team day-by-day and not getting ahead of ourselves. We are well aware of the challenge of the task ahead and we are certainly looking forward to it.”
Pakistan are without Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan for the tournament, both of whom were told to work on their weaknesses, especially on playing quicker innings. Hesson had earlier revealed he had advised Babar to improve his game against spin. Answering a question, he reiterated that he will never back off from being honest about a player’s shortcomings.
“Being honest about your assessment of players is pretty important,” Hesson said. “Coming from a place where you have no agenda is also very important. Looking at things objectively is important. I haven’t talked about anyone’s frailties.
“What I have alluded to is the way the modern game is played and the strike rates required, particularly in good conditions. All players ask for from coaches is to be honest with them. That is the responsibility you’ve got. Just because you like a player or have a relationship with a player, it doesn’t mean you can’t be honest.”
