New Delhi: Former New Zealand and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) coach Mike Hesson was appointed as the new white-ball head coach of the Pakistan men’s cricket team on Tuesday. Hesson had emerged as the frontrunner for the Pakistan head coach post ever since the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) advertised for the top position following the team’s forgettable tour of New Zealand in March-April this year.
Several former Pakistan cricketers, including the likes of Azhar Mahmood and Saqlain Mushtaq, were reportedly interested in taking over as the new white-ball coach of Pakistan. However, Hesson had an edge over his competitors given his experience and proven track record. Hesson is currently serving as the head coach of the Islamabad United franchise in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
He coached New Zealand from 2012 to 2018, helping them reach the ODI World Cup final in 2015, where they lost to Australia. Hesson served as the head coach and the Director of Cricket for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), spending four years with the franchise. Hesson is the fifth foreign head coach appointed by Pakistan since 2023.
Grant Bradburn, Mickey Arthur, Simon Helmet, Gary Kirsten, and Jason Gillespie have all been part of the Pakistan backroom staff since 2023. All of them left their positions without completing their contracts. Gillespie was the last to leave. The former Australian pacer resigned as Pakistan’s head coach in December last year and recently accused PCB of not paying his dues.
Meanwhile, former Pakistan pacer Aaqib Javed, who served as the interim head coach of Pakistan after Gillespie’s departure, has been appointed as the new Director of Pakistan’s National Cricket Academy. Javed was in charge of the Pakistan team in the Champions Trophy 2025 earlier this year, where they failed to reach the knockout stage after a dismal show in the tournament.
PCB sacks Misbah, Waqar and Malik
The Pakistan Cricket Board also sacked five mentors of the domestic teams that were appointed for the inaugural edition of the Champions One-Day Cup last year. Former Pakistan captains Waqar Younis, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik and Sarfaraz Ahmed were sacked alongside former spinner Saqlain Mushtaq. All five players were serving as mentors of different teams in Pakistan’s Champions One-Day Cup.
As per a report in PTI, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi was apprised about the performance of the team mentors during a meeting with the PCB officials. As per a source, it was deemed in the meeting that the mentors were not able to justify the PKR 50 lakh being paid to them monthly for their role.
“Apparently, at the briefing, the consensus was that the money spent on the mentors was not being justified as they had not delivered anything of value until now,” a source was quoted as saying by PTI.
While the mentors were allowed to take up media gigs while serving as mentors of their respective teams, the PCB had put forth a condition that they had to ensure they were with the team for a certain number of days during their tenures. It is not known whether all five mentors were completing the required quota of days with the team, and reportedly PCB was unhappy with Malik’s decision to lead his team Sialkot in the national T20 championship instead of focusing on his role as a mentor.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of New Zealand’s Mike Hesson as the new white-ball head coach of the Pakistan men’s team. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
