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Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson said on Wednesday that his team was preparing for a possible clash with India at the Asian Games.
However, Hesson stressed that both teams must first progress through the earlier stages of the tournament.
Pakistan and India sit on opposite sides of the men’s Asian Games draw. They cannot meet in the semi-finals.
The teams could face each other in the gold-medal match or bronze-medal play-off on October 3, provided they reach those stages.
“India are the benchmark in white-ball cricket at the moment, and our challenge is to catch up to that,” Hesson told reporters at Pakistan’s pre-departure training camp at the National Bank Stadium.
He said Pakistan could put India under pressure if the teams meet.
Hesson also warned against looking too far ahead.
“There’s a lot of cricket to be played between now and being able to play in a final for both sides,” he said.
Hesson said the Asian Games squad combines players from the Pakistan Shaheens and the national team.
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He described the tournament as an opportunity to assess several players.
The coach also indicated that the Asian Games squad would not necessarily represent Pakistan’s long-term selection group.
He said Sahibzada Farhan’s appointment as captain would give the batter valuable leadership experience.
However, Hesson said the Pakistan Cricket Board and selection committee would decide Farhan’s future role.
“That’s a discussion for down the line,” he said.
Hesson added that he had enjoyed working with Farhan during the team’s training camp.
Hesson rejected the idea that Pakistan cricket’s performances across all formats show a general decline.
He said the T20 side had produced strong results during the previous 15 months.
According to Hesson, Pakistan’s T20 win percentage ranked around third or fourth globally during that period.
He also said Pakistan had climbed from eighth to fifth in the T20 rankings since he took charge.
The team gained about 30 ranking points during the same period, he added.
Hesson said Pakistan achieved that progress by winning series in Pakistan and overseas.
He acknowledged that repeated defeats against India remain significant for Pakistani supporters.
However, he said those results should not overshadow the team’s wider progress in T20 cricket.
Hesson said Pakistan’s Test team currently faces difficulties.
He described the ODI side as a developing team preparing for the next World Cup.
The coach said Pakistan had improved its ODI performances over the past year but still needed further development.
Hesson also highlighted Pakistan’s recent progress in major tournaments.
He said the team had previously struggled to advance beyond the early stages of major events.
Pakistan reached the Asia Cup final after winning every match except its game against India, Hesson noted.
India won that final.
At the T20 World Cup, Pakistan reached the Super Eight stage before losing to England.
England later reached the tournament final.
Hesson said Pakistan also had a match against New Zealand abandoned because of rain.
He stressed that Pakistan won every other match during that campaign.
Hesson said expectations around Pakistan cricket should remain high.
However, he also called for patience as the team continues its rebuilding process.
“Our expectations for Pakistan should be very high,” Hesson said.
“But we also can’t go from not even making the top eight to expecting to win every game.”
He said the team needed time to develop consistency across formats.
Pakistan will enter the Asian Games men’s cricket competition at the quarter-final stage.
The team will play its first match on September 28.
The preliminary round begins on Thursday, with Afghanistan scheduled to face Japan in the opening match.
[…] Hesson Says Pakistan Ready for Possible India Clash at Asian Games […]