The former pacer of the Pakistan side, Shoaib Akhtar, has made a jaw-dropping remark on their current head coach, Mike Hesson, for his wrong decisions during their defeat to India in the Super 4 clash of the Asia Cup 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. India, as expected, continued their unbeaten campaign in the event. 

Akhtar raised his voice against the decision-making of the coach on why he included Hassain Talat in the game. The Pakistan batter made 10 runs in 11 balls at number four without a boundary, as his knock took out the momentum of the Salman Ali Agha-led side as they finished on 171/5 in their allotted 20 overs.

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“The coach should be asked the questions – where are his brains? It is just senseless coaching and senseless selection of the team. It is beyond me, it feels like I am the one who is a fraud, who doesn’t understand a thing after playing 15 years of cricket.” Akhtar expressed during the recent interaction on the ‘Game On Hai’ Programme.  

Shoaib Akhtar slams Mike Hesson’s coaching for Pakistan’s defeat to India

Akhtar was furious about Talat’s role in such a key encounter. During the same panel discussion, the former captain and all-rounder of the Pakistan side, Shoaib Malik, also asked Akhtar what changes he would make if he became the PCB chairman.

“In the last five-six games, we have been saying just play the right team. In an important fixture, you thought about playing Hussain Talat? How did you even think about it? What is his utility? Tell me.” Shoaib Akhtar expressed during the same discussion.

“First of all, PCB will never ask me to do this job. The reason is that I’m going to do the right thing, whatever is necessary. I’m not saying give me the power. I believe in teamwork. I believe in logic. I believe in working together.” The Rawalpindi Express addressed. Pakistan will now face Sri Lanka on September 23 for their next do-or-die Super 4 clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

India put on a clinical performance against Pakistan in Match No. 6 of the Asia Cup 2025, winning by seven wickets. The much-anticipated clash took place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, September 14, and saw the Men in Blue demonstrating complete control by outclassing their archrivals in all departments.

But what followed the match got more attention than the actual match. The Indian team defied convention and refused to take part in the usual post-match handshake with the opposition as well as the officials. The players took a more direct route on the field and went straight into the dressing room lockers, going as far as to close the doors. This demonstration was interpreted to show opposition to the nation still mourning the Pahalgam terror attacks earlier this year.

The absence of smiles or camaraderie cast a cold shadow over the high-voltage encounter. Even at the post-match presentation, the tension was visible. While Player of the Match Kuldeep Yadav and skipper Suryakumar Yadav represented India, Pakistan captain Agha Salman was conspicuously missing from the ceremony.

Agha Salman’s Absence and Hesson’s Disappointment

Reports suggested that the India's are refusal to shake hands annoyed the Pakistan camp. Sources indicated Agha Salman decided to not attend the presentation altogether due to the cold reception from the Indian side.

"We were ready to shake hands, disappointed opposition didn't do that"

- Pakistan coach Mike Hesson

Captain Salman Agha also SKIPPED post-match presentation

— Sahil Malhotra (@Sahil_Malhotra1) September 14, 2025

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Confirming the sentiment, Pakistan coach Mike Hesson said, “We were ready to shake hands, disappointed opposition didn’t do that.” In the end, while India celebrated their qualification for the Super Four, it was the silence and lack of sportsmanship gestures that became the talking point, further underlining the depth of the rivalry.

Pakistan will start their Asia Cup 2025 campaign against Oman on Friday, but all eyes are already on Sunday’s big clash against India in Dubai. Head coach Mike Hesson has raised expectations, saying Pakistan’s spin attack, led by Mohammad Nawaz, could be the key to their success.

The team comes into the tournament on the back of a T20 Tri-Series win, where they beat Afghanistan by 75 runs in the final, thanks to Nawaz’s brilliant hat-trick. With the UAE pitches expected to be slow, spin bowling is set to play a big role in Pakistan’s game plan. At Thursday’s press conference, Hesson praised the strength of Pakistan’s bowling and singled out Nawaz.

“When you’ve got wrist spinners like him, the pitch doesn’t matter as much. The good thing about our team is we have five spinners. Mohammad Nawaz is currently the best spin bowler in the world, and he has been ranked that way for the past six months since coming back into the side,” Hesson said.

#AsiaCup2025 #INDvsPAK 🏏

'Surface doesn’t really matter'

Pakistan 🇵🇰 coach has raised the stakes ahead of the encounter against India 🇮🇳@pratyush93_raj ✍️https://t.co/oOTVOPUU87

— TOI Sports (@toisports) September 11, 2025

He also mentioned the depth of their spin options, including Salman Ali Agha. “Salman Ali has hardly bowled, but he’s also our Test spinner. So we have plenty of spin options if the conditions suit. And if not, we have five seamers who can bowl fast, slow, or use reverse swing depending on the pitch.”

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Hesson also talked about Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan’s strike rates in T20Is. “It’s important to be honest when assessing players. I’m not pointing out weaknesses. I’m just saying the modern game needs a higher strike rate in the powerplay compared to before, especially in good batting conditions.” Pakistan will use the match against Oman to fine-tune their plans, but Hesson’s strong backing of Nawaz and the spin attack has already set the tone for Sunday’s big India clash.

Last week was a horrible time for Pakistan in the shortest format as they faced a 2-1 defeat in the three-match T20I series in Bangladesh. Their batting was in question for the first two fixtures as they couldn’t show their skills and firepower in the challenging conditions of spin. It’s not positive news for the Green Brigade, looking at the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka in just six months. 

Their head coach, Mike Hesson, has shared the roadmap to develop the team’s future. He reckoned that, standing at the eighth position in the rankings, they would need a different style of play to bring depth to the system. Hesson also remarked that the two contrasting pitches gave them key insights before the Asia Cup 2025.

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‘Currently sitting 8th in the world, we need to create depth and competition for places as well as play a style of cricket that can give us more consistency over time, especially at key events like the Asia Cup and World Cups. The first 6 games on two contrasting pitches gave us key insights. A young batting group shone with 200+ scores early.’ The former RCB coach expressed in a tweet he shared on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Mike Hesson shares plans to develop Pakistan’s future amid criticism of Bangladesh series defeat

Pakistan took a huge decision by dropping both Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan from the T20I squad. Since their poor performance in the T20 World Cup 2024 in the United States of America and the West Indies, where they couldn’t qualify from the group stage, the selectors have ignored the two veteran batters.

Currently sitting 8th in the world we need to create depth and competition for places as well as play a style of cricket that can give us more consistency over time, especially at key event like Asia Cup and World Cups.

First 6 games on two contrasting pitches gave us key…

— Mike Hesson (@CoachHesson) July 25, 2025

‘Mirpur, which is the lowest-scoring venue in T20I, certainly tested our adaptability, and after struggling early, we fought back and showed an ability to learn with experience. New players stepped up, showing promise and, in some instances, excelling. Specialist Coaches have played a key role in developing bowlers both here and at the NCA.’ The former New Zealand coach revealed.

‘Fielding was a huge step up in the last two matches and was starting to look like an International fielding side. Onwards.’ He added that they look forward to doing well in the Asia Cup, which is expected to take place in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September 2025.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, made the announcement of Mike Hesson being appointed as the white-ball head coach of the Pakistan men's cricket team from May 26, a day following the conclusion of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 season. Hesson, who has coached the Black Caps to the 2015 World Cup final, has also been associated with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) of the IPL, among other franchises. His success with Islamabad United, the defending champions of the PSL, recently made him a strong candidate after the PCB reviewed many applications in light of the team's tour of New Zealand in April.

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi did believe Hesson was a sound appointment based on his record of developing competitive teams. Hesson replaces interim coach Aqib Javed, who stepped down after the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, where Pakistan bowed out in the group stage. Javed has switched to Director of High Performance as a complement to Hesson's appointment, with the PCB seeking to reinvigorate its white-ball cricket prior to a jam-packed international calendar, which will feature a home ODI series and the 2026 T20 World Cup.

A New Era for Pakistan's White-Ball Cricket

Hesson's appointment has been welcomed widely on social media, where supporters and commentators view it as a big win for the PCB, as he possesses tactical brains and an understanding of Pakistani cricket via the PSL. His first task will probably be a T20I series against Bangladesh, commencing in late May, with games in Lahore and Faisalabad.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday announced the appointment of Mike Hesson as the white-ball head coach of the Pakistan mens cricket team effective from May 26, a day after the culmination of the PSL 2025 season.https://t.co/a0K9k4OQqi

— CricketNDTV (@CricketNDTV) May 13, 2025

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The PCB is optimistic that Hesson's strategic experience will help rectify Pakistan's recent woes in limited-overs cricket, such as a disastrous Champions Trophy outing and only one victory in nine white-ball games on their New Zealand tour this year. With a new eye, Hesson wants to create a competitive team, paving the way for a revolutionary era in Pakistan's white-ball cricket.