Mike Hesson Speaks Out On Pakistan’s Senior Players’ Axing During England Tour

Pakistan's interim red-ball head coach Mike Hesson on Friday distanced himself from the decision to drop senior players Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha and Imam-ul-Haq from the Test squad following a disastrous tour of England, where Pakistan have lost the opening two matches by heavy margins.

Pakistan suffered an innings defeat in the first Test before going down by 194 runs in the second, prompting the axing of seven players and the sacking of head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed.

Hesson, who had been serving as Pakistan's white-ball head coach, was subsequently handed the red-ball reins for the third and final Test in Birmingham, starting September 9.

"Look when they (Pakistan Cricket Board) told me if I could manage the side for the final Test, these three players (Rizwan, Agha and Imam) were already released from the squad and (were) on their way home. So, I really don't know what happened there," Hesson told a media conference in Birmingham.

Hesson said that he was involved in the release of the rest of the players and the inclusion of some new players.

"We already had a white-ball camp in Lahore and I had just returned from Japan where the Asian Games are taking place, when I was asked if I could manage the red-ball squad," he added.

"I decided to make some changes in the squad to get balance into the squad and my emphasis has been on having a bowling attack which has variety and where we have a couple of bowling all rounders," he said.

Hesson said some of the new players brought into the squad had not played competitive cricket for some time but possessed the skills to contribute and could help bring greater balance to the side for the final Test.

He also made it clear that he had no role in selecting the Test squads for the West Indies or England series and stressed that his current stint with the red-ball side was only on an interim basis.

Hesson described Agha as a fine player and said he was already working towards a full comeback by returning to domestic cricket.

His comments appeared to lend credence to reports that the release of Imam-ul-Haq, Rizwan and Agha was linked to disciplinary issues in addition to their poor form.

Hesson also hit out at critics for spreading what he called fabricated stories about the team and said he had held lengthy discussions with the players in England, with the squad now fully focused on the upcoming Test in Birmingham.