Why was Mike Hesson frustrated with the journalist's question about all-rounders?

Mike Hesson was frustrated because the reporter suggested that his reliance on all-rounders compromised the bowling lineup. Hesson clarified that the team played five bowlers in the final Test, contrasting with the previous match's four.

What changes did the PCB make after Pakistan's poor performance in the Test series against England?

The PCB replaced seven players and two coaches after losing the first two Tests, appointing Mike Hesson as the interim Test coach for the final match against England.

Is Mike Hesson interested in becoming the permanent Test coach for Pakistan?

Yes, Mike Hesson expressed his interest in becoming the permanent Test coach for Pakistan if offered the position, stating he sees potential talent within the team.

Pakistan coach Mike Hesson snaps after journalist grills him over ‘all-rounder’ fascination: ‘Get your facts right’

Mike Hesson wasn't pleased with a reporter asking an all-rounder question. Here's what happened.

Updated on: Sep 13, 2026, 18:17:58 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Mike Hesson, the Pakistan white-ball coach, was in charge of the senior men's team for the third and final Test against England at Edgbaston. However, he was unable to magically change the fortunes as the team led by Babar Azam suffered an eight-wicket defeat, losing the three-match series 0-3. However, the team's performance was significantly better than the previous two Tests, and it was not surprising that he put his hat in the ring to take up the job on a permanent basis in the longest format.

Mike Hesson wasn't pleased with a reporter asking an all-rounder question (AFP)

After Pakistan went down in the third Test on the fourth day, Hesson fronted up to the media and was grilled by the reporters. However, there was one instance when the former RCB coach in the IPL was left miffed by a question, and he didn't waste any time shutting the journalist down.

Also Read: Mike Hesson open to coaching Pakistan in Tests, leaves final call with PCB after England debacle: ‘Enough talent there’

Deep Dive

Ask HT

It all started after the reporter implied that Hesson was fascinated with having more and more all-rounders in the lineup, saying the Pakistan XI was compromised on the bowling front. However, Hesson put straight up facts, saying the visitors played five bowlers in Edgbaston as compared to the four that played in the previous Test at Lord's.

Here's how the exchange went between the reporter and Hesson:

Reporter: Apparently, we have seen that you believe more in all-rounders. In the T20 World Cup, Abrar Ahmed missed out because of Shadab Khan. And here Saim Ayub played, and we went with four seamers and seven batters. Despite compromising on the bowling front, Pakistan struggled with the bat. So what do you have to say about this? Why does Pakistan always go with fewer specialist bowlers and more all-rounders?

Hesson: In the previous Test, they played four bowlers. In this Test, we played five. So I don't understand your question.

Reporter: Okay. So…

Hesson: I think you need to get your facts right before you start making comments like that.

Pakistan's horror tour

Nothing went right for Pakistan on the tour of England, as the side was battered by the hosts. The first Test ended in three days as Pakistan went down by an innings and 103 runs, while the second Test went to four days only due to rain. The Babar-led side suffered a 194-run defeat in the second Test.

The defeats in the first two Tests led the PCB to replace seven players and two coaches. Hesson was asked to take charge as Test coach, Sarfaraz Ahmed was sent packing, along with bowling coach Umar Gul.

The third Test saw Pakistan posting 200 runs for the first time in six innings as debutant Razaullah showed some fight, taking four wickets and then smacking 81 runs with nine sixes, equalling the world record for most maximums by a batter in his debut Test.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

Mike Hesson

Get live cricket scores, match updates, schedules, results and ICC rankings. Follow the latest news, statistics and performances of top teams and players on Hindustan Times.