Pakistan’s Babar Azam (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Pakistan white-ball head coach Mike Hesson has made it clear that the absence of several senior players in the upcoming ODI series against the Bangladesh national cricket team should not be interpreted as punishment following the team’s disappointing campaign in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Pakistan crashed before the knockout stage of the tournament, which was eventually won by the Indian national cricket team in Ahmedabad. Subsequently, the selectors decided to leave out experienced names like Babar Azam, Saim Ayub and Naseem Shah from the squad for the three-match ODI series in Bangladesh. Hesson insisted the decision was purely about experimentation and giving opportunities to emerging players, rather than dropping established stars. “I wouldn’t say anyone has dropped out. We just see this series as an opportunity to give these promising players a chance to prove themselves,” he said. The former New Zealand coach explained that Pakistan has limited opportunities to assess new talent in the 50-over format and the Bangladesh tour offers a suitable platform, especially with the next ODI World Cup around the corner. “Sahabzada Farhan has made his way into the ODI squad with his exceptional performances in T20s and young players like Shamyl Hussain or Maaz Sadaqat have done well in domestic and junior cricket. “The series will not be easy because Bangladesh play a lot more one-day cricket than us. I see this series as a big opportunity for these new players,” Hesson said. Meanwhile, tensions in Pakistan’s cricket set-up also came to light. Former Pakistan Test pacer Sikander Bakht revealed that there were disagreements between Hesson and members of the selection committee over squad decisions during the World Cup. In an interview with Geo News, Bakht claimed that every player selected for the tournament was Hesson’s choice and said the coach often overruled the selections. “I was involved in an argument with him. Aleem also spoke but the rest of the selectors just sat quietly and did not question Hesson’s decision,” Sikander said. Bakht also revealed that he and former international referee Alee Dar questioned the coach’s views during selection meetings. Dar recently stepped down from his role after reports emerged that he was unhappy with Hesson’s involvement in selection matters. According to Bakht, the selectors initially provided a pool of 20 names, but Hesson finalized the line-up on his own terms. Sikander further criticized Pakistan’s T20 captain Salman Ali Agha’s influence in the selection discussions, adding another layer of controversy surrounding the team’s decision-making process after the World Cup exit.
