As per the latest report in RevSportz, Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson is now under fire for having been held responsible for Pakistan’s ‘toss blunder’ against India. It has been reported that Mike Hesson was behind their decision to have a bowl first after having won the toss.
Following Pakistan’s struggles against India, head coach Mike Hesson’s role in the national side would be hammered. This is more because a lot of modern-day captains are way too dependent on their coaches, and so is Agha.
Mike Hesson blamed for Pakistan’s ‘toss blunder’
Pakistan won the toss and, despite not having the best batting unit in the world, they opted to bowl first, considering their bowling deck was strong enough with a bunch of spinners. Mike Hesson was considered the major preparer behind this toss blunder.
Pakistan eventually lost the game by a 61-run margin, and sources have revealed that the Pakistan cricket hierarchy, too, felt that the opposition should not have been sent into a sluggish start.
Though the Pakistan captain, Salman Agha, could have overruled the coach’s decision, he is not that powerful.
Pakistan coach Mike Hesson is under fire after the “toss blunder” against India. According to an insider, bowling first after winning the toss was the head coach’s call.#INDvsPAK #MikeHesson@shamik100 ✍️https://t.co/jAudomiJ77
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) February 16, 2026
“There’s nothing wrong with the decision to bowl first,” Mike Hesson remains stubborn about his strategy
The reporters asked Hesson whether he repeated the same mistake that Australia committed against Zimbabwe and failed to chase down a 170-run target. He also added, saying the pitch got slower and batting first on such a track could have possibly shaped things in their favour.
Mike Hesson answered with sheer confidence, saying, “Look, I think if you look at the game, the ball spun half as much in the second innings, the ball skidded on. So, there’s nothing wrong with the decision to bowl first.”
He further defended his decision, saying that they had bowled pretty well in the first six overs, but then credited Ishan Kishan for having taken the game away from them. He also added that there is nothing like the slowing down of the pitch; rather, it stopped spinning as the second innings progressed.
“So, you have got to look at the facts rather than the emotive accountability. I mean, the ball, they bowled nicely up front with seam. We took some poor options, but it certainly wasn’t the pitch,” he continued.
Pakistan’s chances could have been maximised had they opted to bat first
Even speaking from a neutral point of view, the Pakistan team should have learned something from the Australia vs Zimbabwe game. It was the same pitch at the R. Premadasa Stadium, where Zimbabwe led a major upset against the Aussies.
Having posted a good 170, Australia was bowled out for 146 by the Zimbabwean bowlers, and Pakistan should have taken a cue from that. For Pakistan, too, had they batted first, the story would have been completely different.
It is to be noted that this has thrown Hesson’s coaching stint into some uncertainty, and ever since, Saqlain Mushtaq‘s decision to quit in 2023, he has been part of Pakistan’s seven different coaches who were in charge of the Pakistan team.
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