Mike Hesson to oversee Pakistan Tests after heavy Lord's defeat
Pakistan's Test crisis deepened on Sunday when they were beaten by England at Lord's by 194 runs, and reports say white-ball head coach Mike Hesson has been asked to take oversight of the Test side ahead of the final match of the series.
According to Geo News, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has requested Hesson to look after the red-ball team and he is expected to be in the dressing room for the Edgbaston Test. Hesson had travelled to London with Pakistan's Director of High Performance, Aqib Javed, and his role was reportedly expanded after the Lord's setback. The loss at Lord's gave England an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
The development has prompted fresh questions over the future of former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, who is currently the Test head coach. Geo News reported that Sarfaraz could be removed from his position after the England tour and quoted: "It is highly likely that after the ODI and T20 series, Mike Hesson will also take over the coaching responsibilities of the Test team, and Sarfaraz Ahmed will be removed from coaching the Test team after the England tour," the report stated. The report framed that change as a likely outcome following the series.
The PCB has not officially confirmed Hesson's reported involvement with the Test side or indicated whether any appointment would be permanent. It remains unclear from the report whether Hesson's presence at Edgbaston would be a one-off arrangement or the first step towards a wider restructuring of Pakistan's coaching setup. The report noted that, if Hesson eventually took charge across formats, Pakistan could have one head coach overseeing both the red-ball and white-ball teams, but no such decision has been announced.
Pakistan's Test squad was altered after the Lord's loss, with batters Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan sent home and Saim Ayub and Arafat Minhas called up for the final Test. Those changes were reported alongside the coaching developments.
On the field at Lord's, Pakistan were bowled out for 194 while chasing 389 in their second innings, with Saud Shakeel providing the strongest resistance before being caught on the boundary for 97. Shakeel's 97 is the highest individual score by either team in the series so far and his dismissal ended Pakistan's hopes of an unlikely fightback.
England completed the 194-run victory having needed only 18 wickets to do so, and Imam was unable to bat again after suffering a calf injury on the opening day. The win gave England their first Test series victory since December 2024 and extended Pakistan's struggles with the bat; Sarfaraz had previously admitted that the team's inability to spend enough time at the crease was a major concern.
The third and final Test is scheduled to begin at Edgbaston on September 9 in Birmingham.
