"We've Got the Best Spin Bowler in the World"- Mike Hesson Drops Bold Claim Ahead of India Showdown!

Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson's first major challenge will be the Asia Cup 2025. Since taking over, Hesson has won 2 T20I series and lost 1. While the bigger goal is to win the Asia Cup, Hesson believes that defeating India will be the toughest task. Ahead of the clash, the coach made a bold statement, naming Mohammad Nawaz as the best spinner in the world to lead the charge against India.

Hesson, speaking at the press conference ahead of the Pakistan vs Oman clash, expressed full confidence in his bowling attack especially his trust in Mohammad Nawaz to deliver in this tournament.

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Nawaz Monumental Comeback

Nawaz, who was dropped from the T20 World Cup 2024 squad, made a strong comeback and has been performing consistently since his return. His recent hat-trick against Afghanistan in the tri-series final further highlighted his resurgence..

"I guess the beauty of our side is we've got five spinners. We've got Mohammad Nawaz, who's the best spin bowler in the world at the moment, and he's been ranked that way over the last six months since he's come back in the side. And obviously we've had Abrar [Ahmed] and Sufiyan [Muqeem] do as well as he has. Saim Ayub is now in the top ten all-rounders in the world, so obviously that comes on the back of his improved performance with the ball. And Salman Ali Agha has hardly bowled, and he's obviously the Test spinner for Pakistan," Hesson added.

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Speaking about spin conditions in Abu Dhabi, Hesson admitted that the pitch behavior can vary depending on the venue. He pointed out that a bowler like Kuldeep Yadav can perform regardless of surface conditions — a trait he sees in Nawaz as well.

"Look, I don't think you can expect that this pitch is gonna spin like it did in Sharjah. And even yesterday when Kuldeep [Yadav] bowled, it didn't spin a huge amount. I think whenever you've got wrist spinners like that, it doesn't really matter about the surface as much."

Pakistan will begin their Asia Cup campaign against Oman in Dubai. With momentum from the tri-series win, the team will look to finalize its combinations ahead of Sunday's high-stakes clash against India — the most anticipated and talked-about match of Asia Cup 2025.

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