Hesson pretty pleased with Pakistan performance bar small hiccups due to ‘a little untidiness in the field’
Mike Hesson thought that everything appeared to be in order except for the fielding.
Pakistan is in Sri Lanka to experience the circumstances in which they will play the whole Twenty20 World Cup. The World Cup will not take place in Dambulla. However, it does not offer circumstances that are much different from those of the Khettarama and SSC, where Pakistan will play in the group stages, or Pallekele, where they would play if they make it to the Super Eights.
However, Pakistan has arrived and raised their flag in Dambulla. This victory was simple. An eight-wicket, twenty-three-ball-to-spare thumping that is almost too simple. Hesson believed that all of their engines were running, with the exception of fielding. Although the bowling had set the game up by dismissing Sri Lanka for 128, the batting had been strong.
“I’d say it was a very clinical performance,” Hesson said. “We had some bowlers who worked really well to get into this side. I was really pleased the way we started with the ball. The way we attacked the stumps let us control the game. And then we were able to bring our spinners in. Outside of a little untidiness in the field, it was clinical.”
In actuality, the spinners took five wickets between them. After travelling to Sri Lanka from the BBL in Australia, Shadab Khan ended his four overs with 2 for 25. With 3 for 25, Abrar Ahmed performed much better. Given Sri Lanka’s tendency to crumble under pressure, Pakistan had obviously done their study.
“Look, the ball spun today – it wasn’t easy for batters,” Hesson said. “And then you’ve got a couple of world-class spinners. Shadab’s been out of the game for a long time [for a shoulder problem that required surgery], but we know in conditions like this, he’s good. They tried to put Shadab off his lengths early, and we knew they would try to sweep, so Shadab went under the bat. It was pretty smart bowling. And Abrar has bowled nicely in these conditions. It’s always nice to have a couple of attacking options.”
“We’re really fortunate with the amount of spin we have. The fact that both Shadab and Mohammad Nawaz are allrounders gives us flexibility with our options,” Hesson said. “And today you didn’t even see the bowling of Saim Ayub, who is the No. 1 allrounder in the world [in the ICC T20I rankings], and a lot of that is because he’s bowled so nicely.
“We’ve spent the last six months getting all those guys bowling well. So we have some tough choices to make.”