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Mohammad Nawaz Declared As World No. 1 Spinner Ahead Of IND Vs PAK Asia Cup Match

Akshita Patel

Pakistan head coach praises Mohammad Nawaz [Source: @CoachHesson, @NaziaAftab09/X.com]Pakistan head coach praises Mohammad Nawaz [Source: @CoachHesson, @NaziaAftab09/X.com]

Pakistan coach Mike Hesson has made a bold statement ahead of the Asia Cup, calling left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz the “best spinner in the world”. Hesson praised Nawaz’s recent form and also spoke about the progress of Pakistan’s batting line-up.

Pakistan will begin their Asia Cup 2025 campaign against Oman in Dubai on Friday. They enter the tournament in strong form, having won 10 of their last 13 T20Is, including a tri-nation series in the UAE against Afghanistan and the hosts.

Mike Hesson Warns India Against Nawaz Threat

Pakistan’s senior all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz played a key role in the tri-series success, winning Player of the Series with 10 wickets in 5 matches at an average of 11.70, including a brilliant five-wicket haul in the final. 

Given his record form, Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson told reporters that Nawaz is the best spinner in world cricket. Hesson also noted that Pakistan now has as many as five spin options, including part-timers like Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha, making their attack highly versatile.

"I guess the beauty of our side is we've got five spinners. We've got Mohammad Nawaz, who's the best spin bowler in the world at the moment, and he's been ranked that way over the last six months since he's come back in the side. And obviously we've had Abrar (Ahmed) and Sufiyan (Muqeem) do as well as he has. Saim Ayub is now in the top 10 all-rounders in the world. So obviously that comes on the back of his improved performance with the ball," Hesson said.

While the coach praised his bowlers, he admitted the batting unit is still developing. Without Babar and Rizwan, others like Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub have stepped up, but Hesson stressed that consistency is still a work in progress.

"It's very much a developing batting line up. And there's a number of players who, on their day, can win you the game, but they don't have as many good days as you'd like at the moment. I think that's very fair. The thing for us, though, is we're more interested in the sum of the parts as a batting group," he added.

Nawaz Could Be Pakistan’s Trump Card vs India

After the upcoming game against Oman, Pakistan will face arch-rivals India on September 14. Mohammad Nawaz’s form could be threatening for India, as the spinner previously picked 6 wickets in just 3 games versus the men in blue.

In the UAE, he has 21 dismissals to his name in 16 games with a 6.01 economy and a five-wicket-haul. Hence, under familiar conditions, Nawaz has the ability to rip into India’s star-studded batting lineup.