Mike Hesson reveals why Babar & Rizwan dropped from team!

ISLAMABAD: Mike Hesson‘s Pakistan cricket revolution will begin against Bangladesh without the country’s two biggest stars, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.

The PCB has already named the team that will play the three-match series against Bangladesh, and the omission of some big names has caused quite a stir in cricketing circles.

However, Pakistan’s new white-ball head coach has provided clear insight into why the star batsmen have been left out of the upcoming home series.

Rather than form or fitness, Mike Hesson made it clear that the decision was rooted in a shift towards a more role-based approach to T20 cricket – a format where Pakistan have often struggled to keep pace with global trends.

Mike Hesson, addressing Babar and Rizwan’s blunder, said “the plans will be based on what role we want to play, the style of cricket we want to play.”

The Kiwi’s statement marks a significant strategic shift under the new coaching set-up. The focus now is first on defining a role within the team—whether it’s an explosive opener, a spinner at No. 4, or a death-overs enforcer—and shaping the playing XI accordingly. In the past, Pakistan’s T20 selections have often revolved around established names without full clarity on the expectations surrounding the role. Hesson is trying to change that pattern.

“Once we have the way we want to play, we will then start populating those roles with players we believe can deliver them.”

It is clear from the new coach’s comments that national selection is now results-driven, based on a vision of how Pakistan wants to play its cricket—and only those who fit that vision will be selected. Within this framework, no player, including Babar and Rizwan, can be dropped unless they adopt the new philosophy.

It’s the same strategy that Mike Hesson has used to great success at Islamabad United.

The three-match T20I series against Bangladesh — scheduled for May 28-June 1 at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium — will now serve as a testing ground for younger, more dynamic options who could better suit this model.

Babar and Rizwan, two of Pakistan’s most reliable performers in recent years, have not played a T20I since December 2024. Their continued absence, combined with Hesson’s comments, signals a deliberate pivot towards a more modern, aggressive T20 template.

The approach is not just geared towards the upcoming T20 Asia Cup but is part of a broader rebuild with the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup in mind. Under Hesson, Pakistan’s message is clear: selection will now be driven by fit players, not past reputations.