{"id":9827,"date":"2025-06-07T21:04:04","date_gmt":"2025-06-07T21:04:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/?p=9827"},"modified":"2025-06-07T21:04:04","modified_gmt":"2025-06-07T21:04:04","slug":"specialist-batters-outdated-hesson-calls-for-multi-skilled-players-over-milestones-obsessed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/?p=9827","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Specialist batters outdated,\u2019 Hesson calls for multi-skilled players over milestones obsessed"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>Pakistan\u2019s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson has called the traditional role of specialist batters in T20 cricket \u201coutdated,\u201d emphasising the need for multi-skilled players who prioritise team success over personal milestones.<\/p>\n<p>Hesson, who recently led Pakistan to a 3-0 clean sweep against Bangladesh, praised the team\u2019s aggressive and counter-attacking approach throughout the series despite frequent wickets. The new strategy, credited to Hesson\u2019s influence, mirrors the style he successfully implemented with Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).<\/p>\n<p>In an exclusive interview with ESPNcricinfo, Hesson said the foundations laid in the Bangladesh series reflect the kind of cricket he expects from Pakistan moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>Read more:\u00a0Salman Agha tipped to become Pakistan&#8217;s all-format captain<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe idea of just specialist batters is very much outdated,\u201d he said. \u201cNot everyone can read a pitch well enough to know exactly which bowlers will be perfect. If you have six, seven, eight options for the captain to turn to \u2014 left-arm spinners, offspinners, etc. \u2014 it gives tactical flexibility.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hesson explained that his approach focuses on players contributing in both batting and bowling. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to be above par with the bat and below par with the ball, and that\u2019s the way we\u2019ll be trying to operate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This philosophy is not new to Hesson, who has long favoured rotating bowlers and using more than seven options during PSL matches to keep the opposition guessing and provide captains with strategic choices.<\/p>\n<p>Pakistan\u2019s recent foreign coaching stints under Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten ended abruptly, with contractual disputes and disappointing results. However, Hesson said he accepted the white-ball coaching role with \u201ceyes wide open\u201d and confidence that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) shared his vision.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe results won\u2019t come instantly,\u201d he admitted. \u201cPeople must understand we will have ups and downs, but if everyone \u2014 selectors, NCA, chairman, senior players \u2014 is on the same page about when and where to peak, there is a clear process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hesson also highlighted the need for \u201cmeasured, smart cricket with intent\u201d rather than just aggressive play, stressing the importance of tactical awareness in white-ball formats.<\/p>\n<p>Addressing recent squad selections that excluded stars like Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Muhammad Rizwan to build a new team, Hesson said he has not closed the door on any player. However, those hoping to make the squad must understand and meet team requirements.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt becomes pretty apparent if someone is playing for personal milestones,\u201d he said. \u201cPersonal milestones will come naturally if you do the right thing for the team, and then the team will celebrate them.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pakistan\u2019s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson has called the traditional role of specialist batters in T20 cricket \u201coutdated,\u201d emphasising the need for multi-skilled players who prioritise team success over personal milestones. Hesson, who recently led Pakistan to a 3-0 clean sweep against Bangladesh, praised the team\u2019s aggressive and counter-attacking approach throughout the series despite frequent [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-english-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9827"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9827\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}