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Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson has hit out at critics who suggested that Pakistan’s ongoing ODI series against Australia is not ideal preparation for next year’s ODI World Cup in South Africa.
Many criticized the spin-friendly nature of the pitch in the first ODI in Rawalpindi, which Pakistan won by 5 wickets. Hesson clarified that not all pitches in South Africa support fast pace and bounce.
Pakistan won due to record performance of Arafat Minhas
In spin-friendly conditions in Rawalpindi, Pakistan’s decision to bowl first seemed correct. All Pakistan bowlers kept Australia’s scoring rate low and created pressure.
Matthew Short and Matt Renshaw scored fifties, but the day belonged to Arafat Minhas. The 21-year-old left-arm spinner made his Pakistan debut after impressing at the PSL and Under-19 level.
Minhas created history by becoming the first Pakistani player to take five wickets on ODI debut. The other bowlers, led by Abrar Ahmed, provided ideal support to Minhas as his 5/32 bowled out Australia for just 200.
Abrar took two wickets while captain Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Salman Aga took one wicket each.
Pakistan’s response was simple as Babar Azam and Ghazi Ghori scored 69 and 65 respectively while chasing the easy target. As the stars wished, Minhas also scored the winning runs.
Mike Hesson hits back at pitch critics
Mike Hesson, through his X account, hit back at those who raised questions on the critics of the Pakistani team.
He pointed out that not all pitches in South Africa would have pace and bounce and this was largely a myth. Hesson pointed out that Zimbabwe and Namibia will also be hosting some matches and spin will definitely play a role in those countries.
Mike Hesson also drew critics’ attention to Pakistan’s ODI match against South Africa in Paarl in 2024, where Salman Agha, Saim Ayub and Abrar Ahmed combined to take 7 wickets, before Agha’s defensive performance with the bat gave Pakistan victory.
“I’m hearing some talk that the pitches here in Pakistan are not ideal preparation for the World Cup in South Africa. This is actually a topic I talked about on the latest PCB podcast. Firstly, the World Cup is jointly organized in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. “Zimbabwe and Namibia are places where spin is a big factor and we will be playing matches in those countries,” Mike Hesson wrote on his X account.
He added, “The myth that all pitches in South Africa are fast and bouncy is not true; certainly some are, but they also vary across the country.”
He concluded, “For those who remember the last ODI series played by Pakistan in South Africa, which included Paarl, where spin decided the outcome of the match. Rest assured, we have done significant research and will use the next 18 months to prepare for different conditions.”
I’m hearing some talk that the pitches here in Pakistan are not ideal preparation for the World Cup in South Africa. This is actually a topic I talked about on the latest #PCB podcast.
Firstly, the World Cup is jointly organized in South Africa, Zimbabwe and…
– Mike Hesson (@CoachHesson) June 1, 2026
Pakistan vs Australia 2nd ODI
Mike Hesson’s team will now go to Lahore, where the second and third ODI matches of the series are to be held.
Unlike Rawalpindi, Lahore is expected to have a batsman-friendly surface. The game will take place on Tuesday, while the third match will take place on Thursday.
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