Pakistan Announces New Foreign White-Ball Head Coach

In a significant development for the Pakistan cricket team, the PCB has appointed Mike Hesson as the new head coach of the men’s ODI and T20I teams, marking a bold move aimed at injecting strategic stability and global experience into the national side ahead of a packed limited-overs calendar.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced the decision himself.

“After evaluation of numerous applications received against the vacancy, I’m pleased to announce that former New Zealand cricketer and renowned coach, Mike Hesson, will join us as the new Whiteball Head Coach for the Pakistan National Team, effective May 26th,” Naqvi said on X (formerly Twitter).

The former New Zealand head coach’s first assignment will be the five-match T20I series against Bangladesh.

Mike Hesson is no stranger to subcontinental cricket or the pressures of high-stakes tournaments. Best known for his successful tenure with New Zealand, Hesson later became the mastermind behind Royal Challengers Bangalore’s backroom strategy in the Indian Premier League, working closely with modern T20 stars like Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Glenn Maxwell.

He also led Islamabad United to a PSL title, underscoring his ability to work with Pakistani talent. His appointment by Pakistan signals a desire to bring data-driven preparation, tactical adaptability, and consistency in execution—areas where Pakistan has struggled, particularly in T20I cricket over the past 18 months.

For Mike Hesson, this is an opportunity to shape one of the most mercurial but talented sides in world cricket. For Pakistan, it’s an appointment rooted in ambition—to finally break their streak of near-misses in white-ball ICC events and turn potential into silverware.

Whether this partnership delivers trophies will depend not just on tactics, but on how well Hesson navigates Pakistan cricket’s famously volatile ecosystem. For now, though, it’s a bold and timely appointment—one that could shape the white-ball identity of Pakistan for years to come.