Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson has defended the decision to prepare spin-friendly pitches for the series against Australia amid growing criticism from former cricketers.
In a post on X, Hesson rejected claims that the pitches were unsuitable for Pakistan’s preparations for the 2027 World Cup, saying the team is following a long-term strategy tailored to conditions expected in the tournament.
He said that the World Cup will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, where both spin-friendly and pace-friendly pitches are used.
The Pakistan head coach added that the team has developed a comprehensive plan and will train according to that strategy over the next 18 months.
Hesson also pointed out that spinners played a significant role in Pakistan’s most recent ODI series in South Africa.
It is worth mentioning here that Pakistan easily defeated Australia national cricket team by five wickets in the first ODI played in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan successfully chased down Australia’s target of 201 runs in the 43rd over, losing five wickets in the process. Babar Azam top-scored with 69 runs off 94 balls, while Ghazi Ghauri made a valuable contribution of 65 runs.
Opener Sahibzada Farhan was dismissed for 28 runs, while Moaz Sadaqat managed 8 runs. Salman Agha returned to the pavilion after scoring 6 runs, and Arafat Minhas remained unbeaten on 18. For Australia, Nathan Ellis claimed two wickets, while Matthew Kuhnemann, Tanveer Sangha, and Marnus Labuschagne picked up one wicket each.
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