Mike Hesson breaks silence on Babar, Rizwan’s role in T20I setup

Newly appointed Pakistan white-ball head coach Mike Hesson has addressed the question surrounding the future of senior players Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in the national T20I setup.

In an exclusive interview with a local sports platform, Hesson made it clear that experience and reputation will not be the sole criteria for selection.

Instead, players will be picked based on their ability to fulfill specific roles within the team’s game plan.

“The plans will be based around what roles we want to play, the style of cricket that we want," Mike said.

"Once we nail down the way we want to play, there will obviously be significant or specific roles around that, and then we will start to populate those roles with players we believe can fulfil them," he added.

The former cricketer also expressed his excitement about leading Pakistan's white-ball teams and emphasised his commitment to bringing modern, winning cricket to the side.

"I am very excited about this opportunity, and I believe I can bring significant improvement to the Pakistan team and help us play white-ball cricket that is modern, successful, and capable of winning — cricket that can once again inspire the fans to support the team. I am happy, but I also know it will be challenging," he said.

It is pertinent to mention that Hesson’s first official assignment will be the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh, set to take place at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. 

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is expected to announce the final schedule soon.

The newly announced squad for the series notably excludes big names such as Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi, indicating a possible shift in direction under Hesson’s leadership.

Meanwhile, pacer Hasan Ali has made a return to the T20I side after last playing against Ireland in 2024. 

Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub have also rejoined the squad following their recovery from injuries that kept them out of major tournaments, including the 2025 Champions Trophy and New Zealand’s tour of Pakistan.

Originally scheduled as a five-match series with games in Faisalabad, the Bangladesh tour was trimmed to three matches due to logistical and security concerns. 

The adjustment was finalised after a productive meeting between PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials, including Chairman Nazmul Abedeen and President Farooq Ahmed.

Following the discussions, both boards agreed to move forward with the revised series, reaffirming their commitment to maintaining strong cricketing ties.

Pakistan squad for Bangladesh T20Is: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicket-keeper) and Saim Ayub.