ASIA CUP, 2025
Salman Agha and his men face a tough test come the Asia Cup © AFP
Mike Hesson is no stranger to taking bold calls; some that even led to the burning of national blazers. He is at it again, in his latest role with the Pakistan national men’s team, where as the head coach, he moved past the veteran pair of Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam, to revive the team’s fortunes – or rather, to bring them up to pace – in the shortest format.
In a way, it’s an extension of the larger plan that Pakistan had rolled out earlier this year to break past their old ways in T20Is, starting with the Strike Force camp, to train a select bunch of batters to train in power-hitting, improved fitness and fielding capabilities.
Results have been mixed so far. Losses in New Zealand and Bangladesh. Victories in West Indies and UAE. But the real test of that long vision and bold decisions will be in the upcoming Asia Cup. Even as their performances may have been far from comforting, on paper, they do have ample balance, skillsets, and a fair bit of firepower to work with in the conditions that are going to be on offer.
Even as the group stage will offer them some cushion, with the likes of Oman and UAE to face, the task thereon might get stiff, with equally strong oppositions likely to battle it out.
But Salman Agha and his men would be wise to not look too far ahead. They are no strangers to slip-ups, and if the World Cup encounter against USA was any lesson from last year, they would be mindful of looking beyond just the challenge that is forthcoming against India.
Neither would Hesson. For all the bravery that he hopes to bring into Pakistan’s game, there would also be a bit of caution. Hesson has held on to his position as the head coach for nearly four months now, and taken some bold but risky calls in the process of reviving the team. The team’s performance in Asia Cup could be the first indicator of what could potentially backfire for Hesson if any surprises come springing their way.
Squad: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (c), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Hasan Ali, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Salman Mirza, Sufiyan Muqeem
Probable XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (c), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
Sufiyan Muqeem may have had quite an impressive entry in international cricket, but had a few average games in the recently-concluded troi-series. It remains to be seen how Pakistan choose to utilise him with their existing combination.
Keep an eye on: Mohammad Nawaz
The left-arm spinning all-rounder has been a part of Pakistan’s set-up for nearly a decade now, promising more than delivering in the big tournaments. A revival of his form with both bat and ball in recent months has helped Pakistan in the build-up to the tournament. But now, as one of the senior players in the squad, comes his moment to lead the way.
Marquee Match: vs India – A no-brainer. That’s what the broadcasters are paying the big bucks for, that’s what the sponsors are going lighter on their purses for. It is the most watched cricket contest in the world, and in all likelihood, one of the three contests that could be played between the two sides in the coming months.
Banana Peel fixture
Even though Pakistan managed to secure two comfortable victories against UAE in the recently-concluded tri-series, the hosts did have them in a bit of bother at times even if those few moments of brilliance got overshadowed by the overall performance. If they do manage to beat Oman, UAE could well go into the final game with enough motivation to stretch Pakistan.
Full group stage schedule
September 12: vs Oman, Dubai
September 14: vs India, Dubai
September 17: vs United Arab Emirates, Dubai
© Cricbuzz
