COLOMBO: Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson has responded to speculation surrounding a viral clip that appeared to show a tense exchange between him and captain Salman Ali Agha during their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 group-stage match against Namibia on Wednesday.
The footage, widely circulated on social media, showed Hesson speaking animatedly with Agha in the dugout shortly after the skipper’s dismissal. Moments later, Agha was seen hurling his water bottle to the ground, prompting online claims of a disagreement — with some suggesting it was linked to Babar Azam’s demotion from No.4 and his eventual absence from the crease.
Addressing the incident at a press conference ahead of Pakistan’s Super Eights clash against New Zealand at the R Premadasa Stadium, Hesson dismissed the speculation and said the situation had been misunderstood.
“I actually got sent that video, and you guys have really got that wrong,” Hesson told reporters.
Simple conversation
“So, I’ll talk you through what happened. So, I was going over to talk to Salman about and get Nawaz to put the pads on as a left-hander, and Agha was upset that he just got out, so he threw the bottle into the ground, nothing to do with the conversation we were having,” he added.
Hesson explained that although he initially wanted Mohammad Nawaz prepared to bat, the plan changed once the opposition left-arm spinner completed his spell, leading to Shadab Khan being sent in at No.5 instead.
“And then, obviously, as I said, once the left-arm spinner finished, we talked about Shadab, going and getting his pads on to come in to Nawaz,” Hesson explained.
“So, it was a really simple conversation that often he wasn’t even part of. He was just standing there, being pretty disappointed that he was out, and it just happened to be in the crossfire. So, amazing what people can interpret sometimes,” he concluded.
