Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson has responded to the criticism regarding his tenure and Pakistan’s recent performance. Hesson rejected claims that the team is in decline, pointing out that the Men in Green had won every match except the match against arch-rivals India in last year’s Asia Cup.
The Men in Green lost to India in three matches including the final during the Asia Cup 2025. This was the first time that India and Pakistan played against each other in the final. The head coach recently inspected a training camp for Pakistan’s red-ball and white-ball teams at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
We won every match except India – Mike Hesson
Mike Hesson said that Pakistan’s progress should not be assessed only by matches against India. Speaking to Cricinfo, the head coach said that Pakistan won every match except the one against India in the Asia Cup last year, which shows that the team has improved.
“For example, in the Asia Cup last year, we won all the matches except India. The reality is that every single team in the world is struggling to beat India at the moment. Every team, not just Pakistan. Right or wrong, Pakistan are judged by how they perform against India. And at the moment, India is not only the best team; they are the best team by a mile.”
We started winning games more regularly – Mike Hesson
Mike Hesson said that Pakistan’s improvement can be seen in their recent results. He said the team needs to become more consistent before they can expect success in major ICC tournaments.
“In the T20 World Cup, we lost to England in the Super 8 because of Harry Brook’s century and a very tough game outside of that. We won every match [other] Sports except India. From 2023-2025, we are not out of the pool in ICC events,” said Mike Hesson.
“So unless you start winning more regular games of cricket, you can’t suddenly go from eighth in the world to being competitive. And for us to go from winning about 20 per cent of our games in a year to winning about three-quarters of our games is important.”
Since Hesson took charge, Pakistan has shown improvement in white-ball cricket. The team has won two T20I triangular series and lost only one of its six bilateral T20I series.
India remains the biggest challenge for Pakistan
Pakistan has struggled against India in the World Cup and Asia Cup. The two sides met three times during the 2025 Asia Cup in the UAE and India won all three matches.
India won their ninth Asia Cup title by defeating Pakistan in the group stage, Super Force and the final. The defeat again highlighted the difference between the two teams in high-pressure matches.
Pakistan looked headed for a big score in the final after reaching 113/1, but were all out for 146. India recovered from the early shock to reach the target in 19.4 overs and seal another comfortable win over their rivals.
Hesson recently said that the team cannot expect to win the ICC title overnight after years of inconsistent performances. He said that long-term success comes from continuous improvement and consistent results.
