Pakistan cricket team’s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson has thrown his support behind Shaheen Shah Afridi, labelling him a “world-class player,” but made it clear that the left-arm pacer must address certain areas of his game to earn a recall to the national T20I side.
Speaking during Pakistan’s ongoing training camp for the Bangladesh series in Karachi, Hesson explained that Shaheen Afridi remains firmly in the selectors’ plans but needs to evolve in order to fit into the team’s current direction in white-ball cricket.
“Shaheen Shah Afridi is a world-class player. There’s no doubt about that,” Hesson said. “But like every other player at this camp, we’ve identified some areas he needs to work on. That’s the reason he’s here—because he’s still in the wider frame for Pakistan in T20 and ODI cricket.”
Shaheen Afridi, once Pakistan’s spearhead across all formats, has found himself on the fringes in recent T20I selections, missing the home series against Bangladesh. Hesson confirmed that the decision was not based on reputation or history, but on tactical needs.
“We had Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, and Abbas Afridi perform really well in the last series. Haris is currently injured, and Hasan made way for Salman Mirza. Shaheen will get his opportunity. But we want him to come back with improvements so that he does well once he’s in the side again.”
The comments point toward a merit-based selection process under Hesson, who has overseen Pakistan’s new-look approach since taking over. With increased emphasis on role clarity, match-ups, and game awareness in the shortest format, the coaching staff is pushing players—veterans included—to adapt or be left behind.
“Players go through good periods and times where they’re a little bit down in their game,” Hesson said. “Our job as coaches is to help them get better so that when they return to Pakistan duty, they’re sharper and more effective.”
While the exact nature of the “areas” Shaheen must work on weren’t detailed, Shaheen’s focus should be on translating his scintillating franchise form over to international cricket.
For now, Shaheen Afridi remains on the sidelines. But with the road ahead for Pakistan increasing in difficulty with each passing month, his path back is far from closed. The message from Hesson is clear: reputations open the door, but performance and progress secure the place.