By Alam Zeb Safi
DHAKA: Head coach Mike Hesson has said that Pakistan are eager to test new talent but must quickly adapt to local conditions as they prepare to face Bangladesh in the opening match of a three-game One-Day International series beginning on Wednesday.
Speaking ahead of the series opener in Dhaka, Hesson said Pakistan’s recent success in the 50-over format had created a positive environment within the squad but warned that conditions in Bangladesh could present a different challenge.
“We’re excited as a group to involve them,” Hesson said of the younger players included in the squad. “Our challenge here is adapting to the pitch quickly. Regardless of what’s thrown at us, we’ve got to make sure we have a team ready to compete in these conditions.”
Pakistan arrived in Bangladesh after convincing performances in their last two ODI series, which Hesson described as “exceptional”.
“Our last two one-day series have been exceptional,” he said. “We won both very convincingly and played some solid cricket. Getting runs at the top of the order helped us a lot, and this series will be a challenge for some new players to do the same.”
Hesson noted that the pitch conditions appeared noticeably different from what Pakistan experienced during the recent Twenty20 matches in Bangladesh.
“There’s a lot more grass on the square than I’ve seen here in the past year,” he said. “It depends how that plays. We think we’ve got good enough spinners through the middle overs, and if there’s anything on offer we can certainly create wicket-taking opportunities. But that will depend very much on the pitch.”
Despite Pakistan’s confidence, Hesson stressed that Bangladesh remain a formidable opponent at home.
“Of course we can beat Bangladesh,” he said. “But we also respect them in their own conditions. These conditions will be very different from what we saw in the T20 series where the bounce was inconsistent and the surface was average.”
According to the coach, the wicket appears to have improved significantly, potentially providing a more balanced contest between bat and ball.
“It certainly looks a far better pitch with better coverage than it has been,” Hesson said. “Unfortunately the pitches here haven’t been great for a while but even during the Bangladesh Premier League we saw surfaces improving. There’s more grass cover now and it looks like a genuine contest between bat and ball.”
The series also presents Pakistan with an opportunity to experiment with new players as the team management looks to expand its pool ahead of future international commitments.
“I don’t think anyone was particularly dropped,” Hesson said. “It’s more about giving younger talent an opportunity. We don’t often get windows in the calendar where we can give promising players a run unless we’re leading into a major event.”
Among the players expected to get a chance is top-order batter Sahibzada Farhan, who forced his way into contention with strong performances in domestic and franchise cricket.
“He’s done very well and has forced his case,” Hesson said. “He performed strongly in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and has also been impressive in domestic 50-over cricket.”
Hesson also highlighted the emergence of young batsman Shamayl Hussain, describing him as an exciting prospect after his prolific run-scoring in first-class and List A competitions as well as for Pakistan Shaheens.
“He’s the highest run-scorer in first-class cricket recently and has been exceptional in List A cricket,” Hesson said.
Maaz Sadaqat is another player who could finally get an extended opportunity after spending time on the fringes of the national setup.
“These are players who haven’t had many opportunities yet,” Hesson added. “This series gives them the chance to show how good they are at international level.”
Bangladesh, meanwhile, may hold a slight advantage due to their recent involvement in more 50-over cricket.
“Bangladesh have been playing a lot more ODI cricket recently,” Hesson said. “So we know we will have to adjust quickly to the longer format.”
The three-match ODI series begins on Wednesday in Dhaka, with both sides looking to build momentum in the 50-over format in what Hesson expects to be a closely contested contest in improved playing conditions.
