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"Not Acceptable": Mike Hesson Slams Dhaka's Pitch As Excuse After Pakistan's Defeat

Akshita Patel

Mike Hesson blames pitch for Pakistan's loss [Source: AFP, @dhillow_/X.com]Mike Hesson blames pitch for Pakistan's loss [Source: AFP, @dhillow_/X.com]

In a scathing post-match assessment, Pakistan's white-ball head coach Mike Hesson tore into the playing conditions at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. He deemed the pitch "unacceptable" for international cricket after his side was skittled out for just 110 in the first T20I against Bangladesh.

Pakistan crumbled to 46 for 5 within 8 overs of the first inning, never recovering from the early blows. Although Fakhar Zaman briefly threatened with a few aggressive strokes, the middle-order collapsed completely. 

The men in green were bowled out for just 110 runs, and Bangladesh chased down the nominal total in 15.3 overs to seal a dominant 7-wicket victory.

Mike Hesson Rates Dhaka’s Pitch As Below International Standards

Meanwhile, after the match, Pakistan’s new coach, Mike Hesson, spoke to the media in a press conference and pinned the blame on Shere Bangla National Stadium’s pitch. He said the surface wasn’t good enough for an international game, and his team deserved better.

"I think (the pitch) is not ideal for anybody. Teams are trying to prepare for the Asia Cup or the (T20) World Cup. It is not acceptable. It is still no excuse for some of the decisions we made with the bat. But this pitch is not up to international standards," Hesson said.

Hesson’s comments have sparked a debate, especially with the second T20I set to be played on the same surface on Tuesday. Interestingly, Pakistan are playing with a new combination, as Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi were sidelined from the format due to poor performance.

However, the new team led by Salman Agha just got destroyed in Mirpur and lost only their 4th encounter against Bangladesh in T20I cricket history.

Bangladesh Opener Counters Hesson’s Claim

On the other hand, Bangladesh opener Parvez Hossain Emon countered Mike Hesson’s pitch criticism with a calm rebuttal. He said the pitch wasn’t too bad, and had Pakistan adjusted to conditions and played a full 20 overs, they would have had 150-160 on board.

"We didn't feel (it was a bad pitch) as we chased it down in less than 16 overs. We could have scored 150-160 runs if we batted the full 20 overs. It may be so that they couldn't adjust to the pitch. We adjusted better than them. The Dhaka pitch usually benefits the bowlers. We tried to assess the wicket quickly. It was our first plan," Emon told press.

That being said, the second T20I of the 3-game series will be held on July 22 at the same venue in Mirpur.