{"id":71537,"date":"2026-09-04T20:14:07","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T20:14:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsvog.com\/ur\/71537"},"modified":"2026-09-04T20:14:08","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T20:14:08","slug":"mike-hesson-distances-himself-from-pcb-decisions-on-sarfaraz-ahmed-and-umar-gul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsvog.com\/ur\/71537","title":{"rendered":"Mike Hesson distances himself from PCB decisions on Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div style=\"font-size:16px;line-height:1.6\">\n<p><strong>Islamabad United head coach Mike Hesson has clarified his position regarding recent coaching and leadership restructuring within Pakistan cricket, explicitly stating that he had no role in the removals of Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Addressing media queries amid growing debate over changes within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) setup, the veteran New Zealand coach emphasized that selection dynamics, captaincy changes, and support staff appointments rest entirely with the national board and designated selectors rather than franchise coaches or external consultants.<\/p>\n<p>Hesson explained that his focus remains dedicated to his operational duties and tactical preparation for the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) season.<\/p>\n<p>He noted that while he maintains open communication with various stakeholders across the domestic ecosystem, management decisions regarding national team personnel\u2014including former Champions Trophy-winning captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul\u2014fall outside his professional remit.<\/p>\n<p>His comments come at a time when cricket analysts and supporters are seeking clarity over recent leadership shifts within the national team apparatus.<\/p>\n<p>The clarification highlights the distinct boundaries between domestic PSL franchise management and the administrative authorities governing the national team. Hesson reiterated his respect for both Sarfaraz and Gul, acknowledging their significant historical contributions to Pakistan cricket as player-leaders and coaches.<\/p>\n<p>By addressing the speculation directly, Hesson aimed to dispel persistent media rumors linking franchise staff to PCB management decisions, reinforcing that board strategy is directed solely by appointed PCB officials and selection committees.<\/p>\n<p>As preparations intensify for upcoming domestic and international fixtures, Hesson\u2019s remarks serve to redirect focus back toward on-field performance and team development. The statement provides welcome clarity for fans and cricket commentators tracking off-field administrative developments in Pakistan cricket.<\/p>\n<p>Moving forward, both Islamabad United and national team selectors will continue working through their respective frameworks to prepare players for key competitive assignments on the international calendar.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/arynews.tv\/mike-hesson-distances-himself-from-pcb-decisions-on-sarfaraz-ahmed-and-umar-gul\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Islamabad United head coach Mike Hesson has clarified his position regarding recent coaching and leadership restructuring within Pakistan cricket, explicitly stating that he had no role in the removals of Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul. Addressing media queries amid growing debate over changes within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) setup, the veteran New Zealand coach emphasized that selection dynamics, captaincy&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":71538,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-71537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pakistan"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":16,"label":"Pakistan"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/newsvog.com\/ur\/wp-content\/uploads\/Umar-Gul-and-Sarfraz-1024x576.jpg",1024,576,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"frkhokhar@gmail.com","author_link":"https:\/\/newsvog.com\/ur\/author\/frkhokhargmail-com"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":16,"name":"Pakistan","slug":"pakistan","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":16,"taxonomy":"category","description":"All about Pakistan","parent":0,"count":4466,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":16,"category_count":4466,"category_description":"All about Pakistan","cat_name":"Pakistan","category_nicename":"pakistan","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsvog.com\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71537","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsvog.com\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsvog.com\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsvog.com\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsvog.com\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71537"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newsvog.com\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71537\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":71539,"href":"https:\/\/newsvog.com\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71537\/revisions\/71539"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsvog.com\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsvog.com\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsvog.com\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsvog.com\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}