Pakistan‘s eight-wicket defeat by England in the third Test at Edgbaston completed a 3-0 series defeat. The Pakistan Cricket Board relieved Sarfaraz Ahmed of his coaching duties and sent seven players home following the series loss. Mike Hesson, 51 years old, was drafted in on an interim basis to replace Ahmed for the third Test at Edgbaston.
Hesson was appointed Pakistan’s limited-overs coach in May 2025 and has now been asked to step in temporarily for the Test side. When asked about taking the Test coaching position on a permanent basis alongside his existing white-ball responsibilities, Hesson responded positively to the prospect.
“Yeah, I’ll be open to it for sure. I haven’t even contemplated that at this stage. I’ve got the Asian Games coming back about a week after I get back, and that’s my main focus in terms of the white ball. And then by the time that arrives, I’m sure we would have had some discussions about the Test team going forward,” Hesson said, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
“I love Test cricket, and I think there’s enough talent around the system in Pakistan that if we can provide some good direction, we can make some strides forward. But it’s certainly not going to happen in a game or two. But I think there’s some skill there that I’d certainly be considering looking after,” he added.
What are Hesson’s immediate priorities?
Earlier, England had made preliminary contact with Hesson’s agent while looking for a replacement for Brendon McCullum. However, the approach did not progress because of his commitment to Pakistan’s white-ball side until the 2027 World Cup. Hesson clarified his approach to coaching positions and his commitment to existing roles.
“I was contacted by my agent to say, ‘Hey, [there has been] an approach to have a discussion, and my availability,’ as I’m sure many people were, and I made it pretty clear that I’d committed to Pakistan,” Hesson said.
“I don’t really believe in having a job to get another job. That’s not really the way I’ve ever operated. Most of the positions I’ve been in, I’ve been in for five, six years. I sort of see it through and then you have a break and you refresh and try for something else. So that’s kind of the way I operate,” he added further.
