On May 30, Pakistan beat a second-string Australian side by five wickets on a spin-friendly track at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Despite the win over Josh Inglis-led side, there were questions raised over spin-friendly pitches will help Pakistan prepare for the ODI World Cup 2027 in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Hesson defended the preparations on the eve of the second ODI and put out a post on his social media. The former New Zealand cricketer pointed out that all pitches in South Africa do not assist just pace and bounce. He also said that the World Cup 2027 matches will also be played in Zimbabwe and Namibia where spin will play a crucial role.
“I've been hearing a bit of chatter about the pitches here in Pakistan not being the ideal preparation for the World Cup in South Africa. It’s actually a topic I talked about on the latest #PCB podcast,” Hesson wrote in a post on X.
“Firstly the World Cup is jointly hosted in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Zimbabwe and Namibia have venues where spin is a big factor and we will be playing matches in those countries.
“The myth of all pitches in South Africa being quick and bouncy are just not true, there are definitely some which are but they also vary throughout the country.”
Hesson recalled an ODI on South Africa soil from 2024 where spin played a huge role in Pakistan's thrilling three-wicket in in Paarl. He assured Pakistan fans that they will prepare in different conditions to prepare for the next ODI World Cup.
“Those that remember the last ODI series Pakistan played in SA which included Paarl where spin dictated the outcome of the match. Rest assured we have competed significant research and will be using the next 18 months to prepare for a variety of conditions,” Hesson added.
Spin to win for Pakistan
In the first ODI of the series, Pakistan included just two pacers in the squad -- skipper Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf. Afridi and Rauf bowled 11.1 overs combined as Australia were bowled out for 200 in 44.1 overs. The remaining 33 overs were bowled by spinners. Arafat Minhas bowled 10 overs and picked up a record-breaking fifer on his ODI debut. Abrar bowled his quota of overs and took two wickets. Shadab went wicketless and conceded 54 runs from eight overs. Salman Agha chipped in with five overs and claimed one wicket for 21 runs.
The second ODI of the series will be played on June 2 at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium.