'I am open to it' - Mike Hesson on taking on Pakistan Test coach job

Hesson Open to Merging Test Role With Pakistan Whiteball Job

Pakistan's 8wicket thrashing by England at Edgbaston—completing a whitewash—cost Sarfaraz Ahmed his job, and seven players got the boot. Mike Hesson stepped in on an interim basis for that third Test, and now the PCB is weighing whether to hand him the Test reins permanently alongside his existing limited-overs reins.

Hesson, 51, took the whiteball job in May 2025 with a firm commitment running to the 2027 WC. When asked if he'd combine both roles, his answer was measured but positive:

"I'll be open to it for sure... I love Test cricket, and there's enough talent in the system. Provide good direction and we can make strides—but it's not happening in a game or two."

His immediate focus? The Asian Games, landing roughly a week after he returns. Test team talks will follow once that's done.

The England Angle

England had floated Hesson as a McCullum replacement earlier—his agent confirmed the approach—but it stalled on his Pakistan commitment. Hesson was clear-eyed about loyalty vs. opportunism:

"I don't believe in having a job just to get another job... Most roles I've held, I've been in for five, six years. I see it through, then I refresh and chase something else."

The Read

This is a retention play by the PCB. They've got a coach who knows the setup, loves Test cricket, and isn't being poached. If the whiteball and Test jobs merge, Hesson becomes one of the more powerful head-coach-type roles in the game. Talent is there; execution and patience are the question. Not a quick fix—more of a multi-year rebuild.

Source: Crictracker