Pakistan’s white-ball head coach, Mike Hesson, has confirmed that he is actively involved in finalising the national squad. After months of speculation and controversy, it turns out the head coach and captain now do have a seat at the selection table.
Speaking to the media during Pakistan’s pre-tour camp for the Bangladesh series, Hesson offered a rare glimpse into how team selection works under the current PCB setup.
“I am part of the selection panel. Yes, I am,” Hesson said. “The selectors of the selection panel select a squad of 20 players, and then the coach and captain present 15 to the chairman.”
Remember Gary Kirsten’s Exit?
This newfound power for Hesson and T20I captain Salman Ali Agha comes in sharp contrast to what Gary Kirsten experienced just a year ago.
Kirsten, the former World Cup-winning coach, joined Pakistan in April 2024 as the white-ball coach. But his stint was short-lived, and not because of results. Rather, he felt handicapped.
“I realised quite quickly I wasn’t going to have much of an influence,” Kirsten had admitted in an interview. “Once I was taken off selection and asked to take a team and not be able to shape the team, it became very difficult as a coach.”
His resignation came shortly after Pakistan’s squads for the Australia and Zimbabwe tours were announced, without him or then Test coach Jason Gillespie having any say.
Gillespie, too, would resign soon after, citing a “sour taste” left by the experience.
Even Rizwan Had Complaints
It wasn’t just the foreign coaches who felt sidelined. ODI captain Mohammad Rizwan also voiced his frustration after Pakistan’s series defeat to New Zealand earlier this year. He publicly stated he had no authority in the selection process, a glaring red flag for a player expected to lead from the front.
So, when someone like Hesson confirms that both he and the captain are now actively shaping the final 15-man squad, it’s a pretty big deal.
What’s Changed?
The PCB has clearly tweaked its internal structure, perhaps realising that handing over a team to coaches without giving them the power to shape it is a recipe for failure.
The new system, involving coach and captain input, not only brings accountability but also promotes cohesion between the team strategists and the selectors.
Whether this shift is permanent or simply a case of “right people, right time” remains to be seen. But for now, it seems that Mike Hesson and Salman Ali Agha are getting exactly what Kirsten, Gillespie, and Rizwan once asked for.
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