“What was their role?” - Saqlain Mushtaq slams Mike Hesson after Pakistan’s exit from T20 WC 2026

Former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq has slammed the head coach, Mike Hesson, for not properly defining the roles of the all-rounders Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign.

Speaking on the show Tapmad, Mushtaq stated that the selection decisions and on-field tactical thinking were the factors behind Pakistan’s early exit from the showpiece event. Notably, Pakistan managed to win only one Super8 clash, bowing out of the campaign.

“There are different types of all-rounders in the world. There is a bowling all-rounder and there is a batting all-rounder and there is one complete all-rounder. I have mentioned it before also,” Mushtaq was quoted as saying on the show Tapmad.

“In the Pakistan team, whichever all-rounders were picked up from the resources, I think in the case of Shadab and Nawaz, what was their role? If you see the stats, who were their wicket-taking bowlers? First, Usman Tariq did not play initially, and we were told to pick him up, and you brought him. Then they brought Abrar Ahmed, a pure bowler,” he added.

“Your batting balance was getting disturbed because you had these two all-rounders in the form of Shadab and Nawaz, on whose batting and bowling you had belief on. Both Nawaz and Shadab have given performances in batting and bowling also. Right now, things are running patchy. At this position, coach was demanding both things from these two. That you have to bat at this spot and bowl at this role. And in bowling, both of them were not bowling in death overs. Nawaz would come to bowl in power play sometimes. In middle overs, Usman Tariq and now Abrar would bowl,” he concluded.

In their third and last Super8 game, the Men In Green were tasked to restrict Sri Lanka to 147 or less to propel to the semi-finals. However, the Sri Lankans, led by Dasun Shanaka, went on to score 207/6 in the 213-run chase, eliminating the Men In Green from the mega event.

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