Pakistan’s interim red-ball head coach Mike Hesson has strongly rejected reports that Salman Ali Agha refused to attend a meeting with King Charles III, calling the story “unacceptable journalism” and insisting the Pakistan batter had been advised he wouldn’t be attending the engagement earlier than Hesson even arrived in England.
The report emerged amid a interval of extraordinary turmoil in Pakistan cricket, with seven gamers dropped from the Take a look at squad following heavy defeats within the opening two matches in opposition to England and head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed sacked. Salman, Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq have been amongst these launched from the squad.
However Hesson, who took cost of the Take a look at facet solely after these three gamers had already left England, stated there was no controversy surrounding their absence from the King’s engagement at Buckingham Palace.
“Look, I do know there’s been a void within the information, however persons are simply making up tales. Salman Ali Agha, as I’ve stated, the three gamers have been launched from the squad earlier than I arrived, properly earlier than Buckingham Palace,” Hesson stated on Friday.
“They have been despatched a notice at the moment that these three gamers wouldn’t be attending Buckingham Palace. So, somebody’s simply made one thing up,” he added.
Hesson stated the remaining Pakistan gamers had been on the visitor listing from the outset and there had been no last-minute modifications involving the staff.
“By way of the opposite gamers, all the remainder of the gamers that have been within the squad have been already on the listing. I used to be already on the listing because the white-ball head coach, so there have been no modifications to it,” he stated.
“It was all very easy. Somebody’s simply acquired two and two collectively and provide you with 9. For me, that is unacceptable journalism,” Hesson added.
NO ROLE IN SACKINGS: HESSON
The clarification comes as Hesson makes an attempt to steer Pakistan in direction of the third and remaining Take a look at in opposition to England in Birmingham, starting September 9, whereas preserving himself at arm’s size from choices that triggered the most recent upheaval.
Pakistan misplaced the primary Take a look at by an innings after which suffered a 194-run defeat within the second, leaving them 2-0 down within the sequence. The outcomes led to a significant overhaul, with seven players axed and Sarfaraz removed as head coach.
Hesson, who had been Pakistan’s white-ball head coach, was subsequently requested to take cost of the red-ball facet for the ultimate Take a look at.
However he made it clear that he was not concerned within the determination to launch Salman, Rizwan and Imam.
“Once they advised me if I may handle the facet for the ultimate Take a look at, these three gamers have been already launched from the squad and on their method house. So, I actually do not know what occurred there,” Hesson stated.
His involvement, he defined, got here later, when he was requested to reshape the squad for the ultimate Take a look at.
Hesson stated he had been in Lahore for a white-ball camp and had solely simply returned from Japan, the place the Asian Video games are being held, when he was approached about taking on the Take a look at facet.
“I made a decision to make some modifications within the squad to get stability into the squad,” he stated.
His focus has since been on placing collectively a bowling assault able to providing England a special problem in Birmingham.
“My emphasis has been on having a bowling assault which has selection and the place we’ve a few bowling all-rounders,” Hesson stated.
– Ends
