‘Bangladesh series an opportunity for young players to demonstrate their abilities’

Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson on Monday said that the upcoming three-match ODI series against Bangladesh will provide a big opportunity for young players to showcase their ability.

Pakistan have included six uncapped players -- Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan, and Shamyl Hussain -- for the series scheduled to be held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur from March 11 to 15.

Former captain Babar Azam, all-rounder Saim Ayub and hard-hitting batter Fakhar Zaman, however, were not picked.

“No one was specifically dropped. This is a rare opportunity in the calendar to examine younger, promising talent outside of pinnacle events. Many of these players have been on the circuit for a while waiting for an opportunity,” Hesson told reporters in Mirpur.

“For example, Farhan forced his way into the squad through his performances in the T20 World Cup and domestic 50-over cricket. Shamyl Hussain is an exciting talent and a high run-scorer in first-class and List A cricket. Maaz Sadaqat has also been on the fringes for some time. This series is an opportunity for these players to demonstrate their abilities,” he said.

Hesson added that the biggest challenge for the newcomers would be adapting quickly to the pitch conditions.

“It is an exciting group with fresh faces who have performed well for the Shaheens and earned the right to compete at the next level. The primary challenge is adapting to the pitch conditions quickly. Regardless of the circumstances, the goal is to have a team ready to challenge Bangladesh in their own conditions,” he said.

He noted that Pakistan had performed strongly in their recent ODI series. During the last two ODI series, Pakistan beat South Africa and Sri Lanka by 2-1 and 3-0 margins respectively and currently sit at fourth place in the ICC ODI rankings.

“The last two one-day series were exceptional and were won convincingly with solid cricket and runs at the top of the order. This series provides an opportunity for new players to maintain that standard.

“The team is capable of winning, but there is great respect for Bangladesh, especially in their home conditions. These conditions look very different from the previous T20 series, which featured inconsistent bounce and an average surface. The current pitch looks improved, meaning both sides will be challenged equally with bat and ball. Because Bangladesh have played more 50-over cricket recently, the team must adjust to the longer format quickly.”

When asked about his last visit, when Pakistan lost a T20 series 2-1 at the same venue last year and he had criticised the wickets, Hesson said he expects better surfaces this time.

“Without a doubt. The pitch looks to have far better coverage than before. While the surfaces here have not been great for some time, improvements were noted during the BPL. There appears to be more grass cover, which should facilitate a genuine contest between bat and ball. Both sides benefit from playing on good cricket wickets that provide a fair challenge,” he concluded.