ISLAMABAD: Becoming a cricket coach at 29 is rare. At that age, most players are just hitting their peak—either cementing their spots in national teams or securing lucrative franchise contracts.
Some, like Shahid Afridi and Imran Tahir, stretch their careers into their forties. But Mike Hesson did not follow that arc. He exited the playing field early, never played international cricket, and instead took a sharp detour into coaching.
In 2003, Hesson became the head coach of Argentina’s national team at just 29. Two years later, he joined Kenya, where his stint ended abruptly due to security concerns.
By 2005, he had taken over Otago’s domestic side in New Zealand, where he spent six years building a reputation as a meticulous, modern-thinking tactician. His ability to recognise talent and translate domestic form into international success earned him a national call-up in 2012.
Hesson’s first major move as New Zealand coach was recommending Brendon McCullum as captain over the incumbent Ross Taylor. The decision was divisive and public, and Taylor initially resisted. But the board backed Hesson, and McCullum took over.
What followed in 2013 was a remarkable period of revival; New Zealand won away series against England and South Africa, and home series against India and the West Indies. Taylor, throughout Hesson’s era, remained a key figure in the middle order, and the team matured.
The culmination was the 2015 ICC World Cup, where New Zealand reached the final for the first time in history. Between 2012 and 2018, the BlackCaps became a cohesive, well-drilled, and fearless outfit.
Numbers That Speak
Hesson’s six-year reign as New Zealand coach was not only the longest in the nation’s cricketing history—it was arguably the most transformative. The numbers bear this out:
Tests (2012–2018): 53 played | 21 wins | 19 losses | 13 draws
Tests (1980s): 59 played | 17 wins | 15 losses | 27 draws
ODIs (2012–2018): 112 completed | 65 wins | 46 losses | 1 tie
ODIs (1980s): 122 played | 56 wins | 66 losses
T20Is (2012–2018): 56 completed | 30 wins | 24 losses | 2 ties
A 13-match winning streak across formats in 2017–18 was a national record. His leadership style—calm, analytical, and player-focused—drew admiration across cricketing circles. In 2018, he was appointed to the ICC Cricket Committee as a coach representative.
But by June that year, drained by the pressures of international cricket and constant travel, Hesson stepped down, choosing to recharge away from the spotlight.
Franchise Expertise and a Quiet Pakistan Entry
Hesson soon returned and played different roles in franchise cricket. He coached Kings XI Punjab in the IPL before being appointed Director of Cricket at Royal Challengers Bangalore. In 2023, he took the reins as Head Coach of Islamabad United in the PSL.
Over the years, Hesson also became a respected voice in cricket analysis, especially on his YouTube channel, where he frequently dissected Pakistan’s performances with precision. He understood the Pakistan team’s strengths and flaws—and most importantly, the environment.
So when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appointed him white-ball head coach on 13 May 2025, the choice was not surprising. What was, however, was the magnitude of the crisis he inherited.
The Broken System
The past three years in Pakistan cricket have been a case study in volatility. Since 2022, the results have been catastrophic:
- Group-stage exit in the World Cup 2023
- Humiliating loss to the USA and early exit from the T20 World Cup 2024
- Champions Trophy 2025: First-round elimination
Behind the scenes, chaos prevailed. The PCB has rotated through 10 head coaches, 25+ selectors, and four chairmen—Ramiz Raja, Najam Sethi, Zaka Ashraf, and Mohsin Naqvi.
Captaincy for the last one and a half years has changed hands repeatedly, with Shaheen Afridi, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and now Salman Ali Agha leading at different times.
Central contracts were revoked and reinstated without any clear policy. Selection became a battlefield, and coaches like Saqlain Mushtaq, Mohammad Hafeez, Gary Kirsten, Jason Gillespie, and Aaqib Javed were removed without any clear explanation, often accusing each other of a conflict of interest.
Team management has also been involved in public controversies over players’ ignored calls and NOC delays. Key players were dropped and recalled with little explanation, and no captain-coach pairing lasted long enough to implement a coherent plan.
The core of Pakistan’s team structure has collapsed. Youngsters have been rushed in and discarded, while experienced names have constantly disappointed. The team’s dressing room also echoes with distrust and confusion.
The Hesson Equation
Mike Hesson, however, is not a novice in this arena. His appointment came after lengthy and carefully negotiated discussions with the PCB. Insiders claim he laid down clear conditions:
- Full authority over support staff and team management
- Veto power in selection decisions, even though the existing committee has also been retained
- Strategic freedom to choose between established names and new faces
These terms, if honoured, mark a massive shift in PCB culture, where even foreign coaches, brought in with a lot of struggle and on world-class salaries, have historically been treated as replaceable figureheads.
The big question now is player selection. Will Hesson bring back familiar faces like Babar, Rizwan, Shaheen, and Haris Rauf despite failures in the last three ICC tournaments? Or will he commit to the newer batch that toured New Zealand earlier this year but lost 4-1? This choice will be interesting.
Hesson brings calm to chaos, method to madness. He turned a modest New Zealand side into a global force. He understands player psychology and tactical evolution. But none of that will matter if Pakistan does not give him time, independence, and insulation from boardroom politics.
Unlike past coaches who were often mismanaged or scapegoated, Hesson must be given the freedom to build, fail, correct, and lead in his way. He must be evaluated not after one series, but after a full strategic cycle.
His roadmap must lead to the ICC World Cup 2027, with performance metrics aligned to long-term growth, not just short-term success.
Pakistan has finally appointed the right man. The real question is: Will they allow him to lead?
