Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson has insisted he will stick to his principles after former Pakistan coach Jason Gillespie advised him not to become a “yes man” amid the ongoing turmoil surrounding the national team.
Gillespie, who previously served as Pakistan’s Test head coach, recently urged Hesson to trust his own judgement while speaking to The Telegraph.
“My advice to Mike would be: trust your instincts and don’t be a yes man,” Gillespie had said. “I know him, he’s a great guy, and I think he’s an excellent coach. I hope he just doesn’t get caught up in all this mess just because he’s happy to accept a pay cheque.”
During an interview, former England captain Nasser Hussain raised Gillespie’s comments with Hesson and highlighted the instability surrounding Pakistan’s coaching setup.
Hussain noted that Hesson is now Pakistan’s 19th Test coach in 25 years and pointed out Gillespie’s belief that the New Zealander should remain true to his principles rather than simply follow instructions.
Mike Hesson, however, was adamant that he would maintain his approach despite the circumstances surrounding the team.
“Oh, without doubt. I mean, I can focus on what I need to do within the team. There are things that are acceptable and things that aren’t. But some things are also outside of your control,” Hesson said.
“I think I’m very clear about where we want this team to go, and over the next five days, we’re going to try to implement that as best we can.”
Hesson was brought in as Pakistan’s interim red-ball head coach following their disappointing performances in the first two Tests against England at Headingley and Lord’s.
Pakistan lost the opening Test by an innings and 103 runs before suffering another heavy defeat at Lord’s, going down by 194 runs to fall 2-0 behind in the three-match series.
The defeats prompted the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to make major changes to the Test setup, with seven players from the original touring squad released, alongside head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul.
Hesson subsequently took charge of the red-ball side, while former Australia seamer Ashley Noffke joined as bowling coach.
