Pakistan head coach says ODI squad remains a work in progress ahead of 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup
Mike Hesson said Pakistan is focused on building greater quality and depth in its one-day international setup as preparations intensify for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Speaking ahead of Pakistan’s upcoming ODI series against Australia men’s national cricket team, the Pakistan head coach described the current ODI squad as a “work in progress” and stressed the need to broaden the player pool over the next 18 months.
“With the World Cup in mind in a year and a half, we have to widen the group,” Hesson said.
“Rather than the same players always being selected, the ODI squad is a work in progress. There are a number of areas we need to develop, and we need to make sure come the World Cup that we’ve actually got the best squad.”
Pakistan’s preparations have included a white-ball training camp organized by Hesson and his coaching staff to assess emerging talent alongside experienced players.
“The last two weeks have been a good chance for us to identify some of that new talent, challenge them against some of the existing players, and work out where the gaps are,” he said.
“Some of these young guys are promising, but they’ve still got a lot of work to do.”
Pakistan recently announced a 16-member squad for the Australia ODI series featuring several young players, particularly in the batting lineup.
Hesson said injuries to key players including Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub and Usman Khan had opened opportunities for younger players to gain international exposure.
“With Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub and Usman Khan being out, it gives opportunities for us to look at some younger ones, particularly in the batting side,” Hesson said.
The coach also warned that Australia would arrive highly motivated after Pakistan’s 3-0 T20I series victory earlier this year.
“They’ll be exposed to an Australian side who’ll be hurting from their performance over here last time,” he said.
“Their squad looks strong and ODI cricket is probably one of their stronger formats at the moment.”
Hesson urged patience regarding the development of young cricketers, saying success at the international level often takes time.
“It would be great if they come in straight away and perform, but reality in international cricket is not everybody can do that,” he said.
“Sometimes it takes a little bit of time to feel confident enough to perform.”
