Pak coach Hesson slams Dhaka pitch

Express Tribune

6 days ago

Mike Hesson says teams are trying to prepare for the Asia Cup or the (T20) World Cup and It is not acceptable. Photo: AFP/File
White-ball head coach of the Pakistan team Mike Hesson has criticised the pitch at the Shere Bangla National Stadium following his side's defeat in the first T20I against Bangladesh, branding it "unacceptable" for international cricket.
Pakistan were bundled out for just 110 runs in 19.3 overs, struggling to adapt to the conditions.
Speaking after the match, Hesson admitted his batters misread the surface but expressed concern over its suitability at the international level.
"I think (the pitch) is not ideal for anybody," Hesson said.
"Teams are trying to prepare for the Asia Cup or the (T20) World Cup. It is not acceptable. It is still no excuse for some of the decisions we made with the bat. But this pitch is not up to international standards," he added.
The Men in Green found themselves in deep trouble early, slumping to 46 for 5 by the eighth over. Several batters fell attempting big shots, and three run-outs further derailed their innings.
"We got off to a little bit of a flyer with Fakhar Zaman playing a few aggressive shots, which gave us a false indication of how the pitch was behaving," he explained.
"We didn't help ourselves in the middle overs with poor shot selection. When the ball started to nip through and bounce steeply, we failed to assess the risk. A couple of run-outs didn't help either," he further stated.
Bangladesh opener Parvez Hossain Emon, who struck a match-winning half-century, disagreed with Hesson's assessment.
"We didn't feel (it was a bad pitch) as we chased it down in less than 16 overs," Emon said.
"We could have scored 150-160 runs if we batted the full 20 overs. It may be so that they couldn't adjust to the pitch. We adjusted better than them. The Dhaka pitch usually benefits the bowlers. We tried to assess the wicket quickly. It was our first plan," he added.
Despite the result, Hesson remained firm in his criticism of the surface, warning that such pitches do little to help either side prepare for tougher international assignments.
"You need good cricket wickets to develop cricketers. There was some good wickets during the BPL, to be fair. It is not up to the standard when international cricket is being played," he said.
"I don't think it helps them when they leave Bangladesh. But I think also batting first in these situations is challenging. When you aren't quite sure whether 100 or 130 or 150 is good enough. I don't think (the pitch) is good for anybody. It still doesn't take away the fact that you have to perform better in any surface. We will look at it as a team," he concluded.
It is pertinent to mention that the hosts currently lead the three-match series 1-0, with the second T20I set to be played at the same venue on Tuesday.
Disappointed Akhtar
Former Pakistan pace maestro Shoaib Akhtar has expressed his disappointment following the national team's underwhelming performance in the first T20I against Bangladesh, which ended in a low-scoring defeat on Sunday at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka.
Appearing on a local show, Akhtar strongly criticised the team's approach and mindset, questioning their inability to capitalise on promising starts and adapt tactically during crucial moments.
"Pakistan is still stuck in an era where they fail to capitalise on a good start. Apart from Fakhar [Zaman], there was no resistance," Akhtar lamented.
"We felt the absence of Shaheen [Afridi] and Naseem [Shah] - I mean, they are specialist T20 bowlers and could have turned the game in our favour. But, as you know, the score was just too low this time, and Bangladesh delivered a clinical and dominant performance," he added.