With the cricketing world eagerly waiting for the high-octane India-Pakistan clash in Asia Cup 2025, Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson has added spice to the build-up by declaring left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz the best in the world.
Speaking ahead of Pakistan’s opening match against Oman, Hesson didn’t hold back his admiration. “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 into the side,” the New Zealander said.
Nawaz recently underlined his value by grabbing a five-wicket haul in the tri-nation final against Afghanistan in Sharjah, a performance that boosted Pakistan’s confidence heading into the Asia Cup. Alongside Nawaz, wrist spinners Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed will headline Pakistan’s spin arsenal.
However, Hesson’s claim will raise eyebrows. According to the latest ICC T20I rankings, Nawaz sits at No. 30, far from the top spot. But for Pakistan’s coach, statistics matter less than impact. “The beauty of our side is we’ve got five spinners. On surfaces like these, that gives us real flexibility,” he explained.
When asked if Pakistani batters struggle against quality spin, Hesson was quick to counter. “We’ve played probably the best wrist-spin attack in the world in Afghanistan on turning tracks, and we still managed to score 70 more than them. So I don’t think that’s an issue.”
Pakistan’s batting, led by youngsters like Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Hasan Nawaz, and Muhammad Haris, remains a work in progress. But Hesson believes the team is finding ways to get the job done. “We’re more interested in the sum of the parts. In Sharjah, we were consistently 20 above par. Even 140 on those pitches was match-winning,” he said.
The timing of Hesson’s bold statement is no accident. With India in dominant form after crushing UAE in their opener, Pakistan needed a headline of their own before the showdown. And now, with Nawaz being painted as the world’s best, the spin battle on Sunday promises to be a story within the story.
