New blood

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed Mike Hesson, a former New Zealand cricketer, as the new head coach for Pakistan’s white-ball (ODIs and T20s) teams. Hesson will join on May 26, replacing Gary Kirsten, who resigned last year due to differences with the PCB. Currently, Hesson is the head coach of Islamabad United and has previously coached New Zealand and Kenya, bringing a wealth of experience to the role. Meanwhile, Aaqib Javed has been appointed as the director high-performance. These appointments come ahead of Bangladesh’s T20 series in Pakistan, starting May 25.

Pakistan’s recent performance in international events has been underwhelming, making these appointments crucial for the team’s revival. The new coaching duo will face the challenge of revamping the team’s strategy and performance and their success will be closely watched by fans and critics alike. But, I think that with Hesson’s international experience and Javed’s domestic insight, Pakistan cricket is poised for a bright future. Best wishes to both Hesson and Javed for their new roles and may their collaboration bring success and glory to Pakistani cricket.

Mohd Bakhtyar

Islamabad