Win Projections to be updated soon
Rawalpindi, 28 October 2025:
Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson said he fully supports Babar Azam’s return to the T20I squad and believes the batter will play a key role in the upcoming home series against South Africa, which begins Tuesday in Rawalpindi.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday evening at the sidelines of a training session, Hesson said Babar’s inclusion was a positive move for the team’s balance and World Cup preparations.
“I certainly endorse his selection,” Hesson said. “With Fakhar Zaman, we agreed he’d take a break from T20s to work on his technique in first-class cricket. That opened up a spot for another top-order player, and it’s a great opportunity to get Babar back into the side. He’s likely to bat at No. 3 and I’m confident he’ll do well in that role. It also gives us options heading into the World Cup.”
Hesson also addressed the omission of wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris, who has struggled for consistency.
“Haris has had plenty of opportunities and would be the first to admit he hasn’t taken them,” Hesson said. “But he’s still young and developing. He needs to improve his decision-making with the bat, his domestic average is 17 in T20s, the same as internationally. That’s an area to work on. Usman Khan, meanwhile, plays spin very well, and we see our wicketkeeper batting more through the middle, which will be crucial for the World Cup in Sri Lanka.”
When asked about South Africa’s recent T20 performances, Hesson cautioned against reading too much into their results against Namibia.
“This squad is very different from the one that played Namibia,” he said. “They’re a dangerous T20 side full of match-winners. We respect their quality, but we’re focused on our own preparation. We’ve won 15 of our last 21 T20s and are moving up the rankings, though there’s still work to do.”
Hesson dismissed suggestions that Pakistan had “choked” in recent tournaments, saying the team is progressing positively.
“I wouldn’t say Pakistan have choked,” he said. “We were in a good position in the Asia Cup final but couldn’t finish it off. That was disappointing, but it also showed the areas we need to improve, especially playing spin through the middle overs. We’ve made adjustments and hope to show progress in this series.”
With four months remaining before the ICC T20 World Cup, Hesson said Pakistan’s core squad is nearly finalized, though competition remains for a few places.
“We’ve got most of the squad firmed up,” he said. “There’s competition among spinners, Usman Tariq has come in as a point of difference, and Sufiyan Muqeem remains in our plans. The wicketkeeping spot is also competitive, and with Fakhar returning, there’s pressure for top-order places. This series and the upcoming tri-series will help us fine-tune our options.”
Hesson clarified that Fakhar Zaman had not been dropped but was following a development plan agreed upon with the coaching staff.
“He hasn’t been dropped,” Hesson said. “He’s playing in the ODIs, and we felt he needed some time in first-class cricket to work on his game before returning to white-ball cricket.”
