Hesson backs youngsters for Asian Games challenge

 Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson said on Wednesday that the Asian Games will provide valuable international and leadership experience to a young Pakistan side. Pakistan on Wednesday also did training at the Oval Ground of the National Stadium ahead of the cricket tournament at the 20th Asian Games, with Hesson saying the players had worked extensively to prepare for different pitches and playing conditions. The brigade is scheduled to fly out for Japan on Thursday. “The players have been given extensive practice over the past three days to prepare them for different pitches and conditions,” Hesson told reporters on the third day of the camp. Pakistan squad was selected from a 30-member preliminary list finalised around five months ago in accordance with the regulations governing the Asian Games, Hesson said. Fast bowler Shahnawaz Dahani was not part of the preliminary squad and therefore could not be included in the current group. Despite the absence of established stars including Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan, Hesson described the squad as balanced and aggressive, adding the tournament would offer emerging players an important opportunity to prove themselves. “The Asian Games provide an excellent platform for new and talented players to showcase their abilities,” he said. Particular attention will be on opener Sahibzada Farhan, who will captain Pakistan at the tournament. Hesson said the assignment would give Farhan valuable experience of leading the national side and an opportunity to perform under pressure. “For Farhan, the Asian Games are an excellent opportunity to gain captaincy experience,” he said. However, he stressed that Farhan’s role in Japan would not determine Pakistan’s long-term leadership plans saying future captaincy decisions would be made by the selection committee and the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman. Pakistan are also expected to make detailed preparations for a possible meeting with arch-rivals India, who have enjoyed a strong record against Pakistan in recent encounters. “India have beaten us several times which is a benchmark for Pakistani fans,” Hesson said. The Asian Games campaign comes as Pakistan seek improvement across all three formats following an inconsistent period. Hesson said Test cricket remained an area of concern, particularly after Pakistan’s recent series defeat against England, but argued that the team’s progress should not be judged identically across formats. “It is not appropriate to judge the team's performance across all three formats in the same way,” he said. “Test cricket is an area where Pakistan are struggling.” He pointed instead to progress in T20Is since his arrival, saying Pakistan had climbed from eighth to fifth in the rankings during the past 15 months. “When I came in, the T20I team was ranked eighth. At the moment, Pakistan are fifth,” Hesson said. He added that Pakistan had gained 30 ranking points during that period and won T20I series away from home, contributing to the improvement. Pakistan had previously held the top position in the T20I rankings in 2017. Hesson also said the team had improved in one-day internationals over the past year as preparations continue for the 2027 World Cup. “We have improved in ODI cricket over the past year. Our team is preparing for the 2027 World Cup,” he said. The coach acknowledged the importance of developing Pakistan’s next generation of fast bowlers, while praising Shaheen as an experienced and high-quality bowler. “Our current focus is on developing young and emerging attacking bowlers,” Hesson said, adding that the team was also working to bring greater consistency to its top-order batting. Hesson also praised selector Aaqib Javed for efforts to strengthen Pakistan’s cricket system. With the Asian Games offering a platform for emerging talent, Hesson said Pakistan’s intensive Karachi preparations had left him confident ahead of Thursday’s departure for Nagoya.