Pakistan Coach Hesson Sparks Pre-India Match Jabs, Declares Nawaz World's Top Spinner

Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson gave his team a boost in confidence and, at the same time, appeared to start the mind games ahead of the much-anticipated Asia Cup 2025 clash against India. Speaking to the press on the eve of Pakistan's opening game against Oman in Dubai, Hesson made a striking remark, branding left-armer Mohammad Nawaz as the world's best spinner.

While clearly intended to lift the confidence of the in-form spinner, the factually unfounded claim also carried the air of a psychological ploy in the build-up to what promises to be a spin-dominated contest between India and Pakistan.

Pakistan boast an in-form battery of spinners, including Nawaz, Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed, while India have their own world-class trio in Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy.

Since returning to the T20I team in July, Nawaz has thrived under Hesson. The left-arm spinner, who was dropped for the T20 World Cup last year, has delivered in style on his comeback, picking up 20 wickets in 11 matches. He took a five-wicket haul, including a hat-trick, against Afghanistan in the recently concluded tri-series final in Sharjah.

"I guess the beauty of our side is we've got five spinners. We've got Mohamed 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 on the side," Hesson told the press when asked if Sunday's match would be decided by the battle of the spinners.

Hesson said Pakistan have depth in both the spin and pace departments and will decide their combination based on the conditions in Dubai. The former Royal Challengers Bengaluru coach also talked up Saim Ayub's all-round ability, rating him among the top 10 in the world.

"And obviously, we have Abrar and Sufiyan. Saim Ayub is now in the top 10 all-rounders in the world," he said.

"And Salman Ali Agha has hardly bowled, and he's also the Test spinner for Pakistan. So, you know, we've got a lot of spin bowling options, if we think conditions suit that.

Hesson's claims, however, are unfounded. While Nawaz is ranked 30th in the ICC T20I rankings for bowlers, he is the third-highest wicket-taker in the shortest format since his return to international cricket. Sufiyan Muqeem is the highest-ranked Pakistan spinner at No. 15. India's Varun Chakravarthy, meanwhile, is ranked among the top three.

INDIA ARE HUGELY CONFIDENT: PAK COACH

Hesson, who has been a globetrotter in T20 cricket, played into the hype, saying he is looking forward to being part of the India–Pakistan rivalry. However, the Kiwi tactician stressed his focus will remain on ensuring the team is well prepared for the big contest, which will define the fate of Group A.

"Look, I have certainly watched many games from afar with other teams or while commentating. Being right among such a highly-charged event is going to be exciting. From my perspective, whether you play a final of a world event or a game of such magnitude, it’s about keeping everyone focused on the job at hand. That will be no different this weekend.

"We know India are obviously hugely confident, and rightfully so, in terms of how they have played. We are focused on improving as a team, day-by-day. We are not getting too far ahead of ourselves. We are very well aware of the enormity of the task ahead. I am certainly looking forward to it," he said.

India and Pakistan will meet for the first time since Operation Sindoor — India’s retaliatory strikes on terror outfits in Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack in April. Captains Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha have both insisted there will be no let-up in aggression when the two sides face each other in Dubai on Sunday.