PAK Coach Mike Hesson Fumes Over Mirpur Pitch: 'Not Of International Standard'
The slow and low track of Mirpur felt Pakistan's new white-ball coach Mike Hesson's fury on Sunday. The New Zealander said after his side's huge, seven-wicket defeat that the pitch wasn't of 'international standard' and that though it might help 'Bangladesh find success', it wasn't 'right' to present such wickets to visiting teams.
Pakistan were bowled out for just 110, their lowest ever total in T20Is. Fakhar Zaman top-scored with 44, but no other visiting batter could even cross half of that as pacers Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman ran riot with five wickets. In reply, Parvez Hossain Emo's half-century and Towhid Hridoy's patient 36 saw Bangladesh chase it in just 15.3 overs, one of their best wins statistically over the Asian rivals.
'This type of wicket is not of international standard," an angry Hesson said in the post-match press conference. Playing on such pitches won't help you improve. You have the Asia Cup ahead, and playing on surfaces like this won't help you succeed on the big stage. Bangladesh may find success on these kinds of pitches, but this is by no means an ideal wicket," he remarked.
Hesson almost veered into explaining how 'such wickets' were not helpful for Bangladesh cricket's development either, before reeling himself back.
'In the BPL, good wickets are usually prepared here. But in international matches, Bangladesh keeps producing these slow and low surfaces to gain a home advantage. That's not right," he stated, before adding, 'I haven't come here to fix Bangladesh cricket—that's not my job. But when we talk about the global standard of the game, such wickets are not the way forward."
It's not just the visiting teams, though. In 2021, after Bangladesh hosted New Zealand and Australia on such tracks and found success, some batters had complained about the pitch.
Home skipper Litton Das had also brought up the subject on the eve of this T20I, saying: 'I also agree. (After playing the 2021 New Zealand-Australia series) the careers of many cricketers have gone down as batters. If I were a bowler, maybe my career would have been rich."
Bangladesh now lead the series 1-0, with the second match on Tuesday, July 22, at the same venue.
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July 20, 2025, 23:05 IST
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