Hesson open to taking charge of Pakistan Test side

Pakistan interim head coach Mike Hesson has expressed his willingness to take up the Test coaching role on a permanent basis alongside his existing white-ball responsibilities, saying he believes the country has enough talent to make progress in the longest format.

Hesson was speaking after Pakistan’s eight-wicket defeat by England in the third Test at Edgbaston on Friday, a loss that completed a 3-0 series defeat.

Asked whether he would be interested in continuing as Test coach, Hesson said: “Yeah, I’ll be open to it for sure. You know, I love Test cricket and I think that there’s enough talent around the system in Pakistan that if we can provide some good direction, we can make some strides forward.”

“But it’s certainly not going to happen in a game or two,” he added. “I think there is some skill there that I’d certainly be considering looking after.”

Hesson was handed the interim Test coaching role less than a fortnight ago after the Pakistan Cricket Board removed Sarfaraz Ahmed following the defeat at Lord’s that sealed the series against England.

The New Zealander, however, said no decision had yet been taken on his future with the Test side.

“I haven’t even contemplated that at this stage,” he said. “I’ve got the Asian Games coming about a week after I get back. That’s my main focus in terms of the white ball. By the time that arrives, I’m sure we would have had some discussions about the Test team going forward.”

Hesson also revealed that England had made preliminary contact with his agent while looking for a replacement for Brendon McCullum, but said the approach did not progress because of his commitment to Pakistan’s white-ball side until the 2027 World Cup.

“I made it pretty clear that I’d committed to Pakistan,” he said. “I don’t really believe in getting a job to get another job. That’s not really the way I’ve ever operated.”

Hesson nevertheless acknowledged that any decision on the Test coaching position would involve the PCB and selectors.

“That’s a discussion that I’ll have with the selectors, and those are, in many ways, those decisions are not mine,” he said.

Pakistan’s latest Test campaign ended with a familiar batting collapse in the first innings at Edgbaston, where they were bowled out for 133 after opting to bat first.

They showed greater resistance in the second innings, recovering from 2-2 to post 450, but England comfortably chased down their target after Mohammad Abbas claimed two wickets in the opening over on the fourth morning.

Hesson said the problems facing Pakistan’s Test side were deeper than the failures of the England series and called for greater attention to the skills required to succeed in the format.

“The team hasn’t just struggled in the last week or two. It’s been a year or two in the making,” he said. “The attention to detail around basic things as a Test team needs work. That’s not just the playing 11, that’s right through the squad.”

He said selection needed to focus on skills suited to Test cricket rather than simply runs and wickets.

“You need players that can play high pace. You need players that can bring different elements to Test cricket,” Hesson said.

“Some of those you can find in first-class cricket in terms of performance; some you have to identify skill. And I think that’s something that, in Pakistan, there’s always a lot of talk about having a lot of natural talent, and there is. At times, we have to be brave in terms of picking players that we think have those skills.”

Hesson was encouraged, however, by the manner in which the team responded after arriving in Birmingham amid upheaval following the changes to the squad.

“Once we arrived in Birmingham, everyone was pretty focused in terms of what lies ahead,” he said. “Some of the players have probably gone through that more than perhaps I have, and I think they adjusted pretty well.”

The first morning had threatened another capitulation after Pakistan lost three wickets cheaply in the opening period.

“Losing the toss and dealing with some pretty good seam bowling and handing over probably three or four soft ones in the first hour and a half created a little bit of chaos in the changing room,” Hesson said.

“But outside of that, I think the boys were nice and calm and I was really pleased with the way we showed some character the last couple of days. It wasn’t perfect, but there were certainly some really good signs.”

Pakistan’s next Test assignment is a two-match home series against Sri Lanka in November.