Chaos in Pakistan camp! Players unhappy with Mike Hesson after T20 World Cup fiasco

NEW DELHI – Pakistan’s T20 World Cup campaign ended in the Super 8 stage, but the reverberations from the early exit have only intensified since the team landed back home. Heavy defeats to India and England, coupled with a string of lacklustre performances under captain Salman Ali Agha, have triggered a fresh wave of introspection inside the Pakistan Cricket Board. With players reportedly facing heavy fines and the skipper’s own role under scrutiny, the spotlight has swung sharply towards head coach Mike Hesson and the growing unease inside the dressing room.

According to a Geo Super report, relations between the squad and Hesson deteriorated rapidly once the tournament began. Several players are said to have approached PCB officials individually during the competition to voice misgivings about the coach’s management style. “During the tournament, several Pakistan players are said to have individually approached PCB officials to complain about the coach's behaviour,” the report noted, underscoring the depth of discontent.

Sources cited in the report claim Hesson’s rigid, top-down approach unsettled the environment. “Insiders allege that his rigid approach and decisions taken without consultation unsettled the dressing room. It is further claimed that key matters were decided without consulting the captain, with Hesson frequently intervening in all aspects of team management,” the report added. The situation was compounded, insiders suggest, by the selection panel and Salman Ali Agha feeling unable to challenge the coach’s sweeping authority over team affairs.

PCB officials are now poring over the tour report and reviewing Hesson’s conduct before charting the next course. “Senior officials are currently reviewing his conduct with the squad and are expected to examine the tour report before holding detailed discussions with the coach,” the report stated. Despite the furore, Hesson’s position may not be in immediate jeopardy; he recently signed a two-year contract, and the board is believed to value continuity in the head-coach role.

For a side already grappling with on-field setbacks, the prospect of prolonged off-field turmoil presents another hurdle. How the PCB navigates the tension between player dissent and contractual commitments will shape Pakistan’s rebuilding efforts as the T20 calendar rolls on.