Mike Hesson, who used to be the director of cricket for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, has been named as Pakistan’s head coach for white-ball cricket. Aqib Javed, who was filling in as coach, will now be the Director of High Performance. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced Hesson’s hiring, stating that he was chosen after reviewing a lot of applications for the role, which came open following the men’s team’s tour in New Zealand back in April.
Right now, Hesson is the head coach for Islamabad United, the champs of the Pakistan Super League. He takes over from Aqib, who had held the interim position for five months after Gary Kirsten left just six months into his job. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi shared his excitement about Hesson’s appointment, mentioning his solid background in coaching and success with international teams. He expressed hope that Hesson will help improve Pakistan’s white-ball cricket.
Hesson was the head coach for New Zealand starting in 2012 and had a pretty successful run, leading the team to their first World Cup final in 2015, although they lost to Australia. Under Aqib’s short-term leadership, Pakistan had some ups and downs. They had a nice win against England and managed to beat Australia in an ODI series, but they struggled in other matches, including a disappointing exit from the Champions Trophy this year.
Naqvi believes that bringing Aqib on as Director of High Performance will help boost cricket in Pakistan and contribute to their future plans. He sees both appointments as a positive move for the sport in the country.
