Will Pakistan’s spin-friendly pitches hurt their 2027 World Cup chances in South Africa? Mike Hesson explains why it won’t originally appeared on Cricket News.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Pakistan beat Australia by five wickets on a spin-friendly Rawalpindi track.
- Hesson defended home pitch conditions, citing Zimbabwe and Namibia as spin-friendly World Cup venues.
- Debutant Arafat Minhas took 5/32 as Australia were bowled out for 200.
Hesson hits back: Pakistan’s spinning tracks are not the wrong preparation for the World Cup
Mike Hesson has pushed back firmly against suggestions that spin-friendly pitches at home are doing the national side a disservice ahead of the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup.
He has made it clear that anyone who has been trying to reduce the World Cup to just one type of surface has not looked closely enough at where it is being played.
His comments come after Pakistan defeated the Australian side by five wickets at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in the first ODI, with spinners doing the bulk of the damage.
Arafat Minhas made his ODI debut and immediately justified his selection, claiming 5 for 32 in 10 overs.
Riding on his performance, the hosts bowled Australia out for 200 in 44.1 overs on a track that offered significant turn, and the result triggered a familiar round of questions from critics who argued that winning on such a surface doesn’t help Pakistan understand what awaits them in South Africa.
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What did Pakistan coach Mike Hesson say about the pitch controversy?
The 2027 World Cup will be hosted across South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Those last two nations, Hesson pointed out, are likely to come up with pitches where spin has always been a significant factor.
“I’ve been hearing a bit of chatter about the pitches here in Pakistan not being the ideal preparation for the World Cup in South Africa. It’s actually a topic I talked about on the latest #PCB podcast,” Hesson wrote in a post on X.
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“Firstly the World Cup is jointly hosted in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Zimbabwe and Namibia have venues where spin is a big factor and we will be playing matches in those countries.
“The myth of all pitches in South Africa being quick and bouncy are just not true, there are definitely some which are but they also vary throughout the country.”
Hesson also reached back to Pakistan’s 2024 ODI series in South Africa, specifically pointing to a match in Paarl where spin was decisive in a three-wicket Pakistan victory.
“Those that remember the last ODI series Pakistan played in SA which included Paarl where spin dictated the outcome of the match. Rest assured we have competed significant research and will be using the next 18 months to prepare for a variety of conditions,” Hesson added.
The Cricket News Opinion: Hesson is right, but the quality of opposition still matters
The tactical argument Hesson makes about World Cup conditions is genuinely sound.
Zimbabwe and Namibia might offer pitches where spinners will have the upper hand.
However, the broader concern is not really about the pitch type, but it is about the level of opposition. Beating an Australian team missing Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Marsh on a surface that suits Pakistan tells you something, but not as much as a full-strength contest would.
Hesson knows this better than anyone. The next 18 months of preparation will need to include harder challenges than this if Pakistan want to walk into the World Cup as a title contender.
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