Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Rizwan, and Salman Ali Agha were sent home prior to Hesson taking charge.
Mike Hesson clarified that he had no role in dropping the three senior Pakistan players, confirming they had already been sent home before he was appointed as the interim red-ball coach for the remainder of the England tour.
Addressing the media ahead of the third and final Test at Edgbaston, the New Zealander broke his silence on the dramatic squad overhaul that saw seven players released mid-tour.
Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Rizwan, and Salman Ali Agha were sent home prior to Hesson taking charge. Their release has been heavily linked to reports of disciplinary issues combined with poor form.
While he had no part in axing the senior trio, Hesson did take responsibility for structural changes to the bowling unit. He released spinners and seamers like Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Aamir Jamal, and Muhammad Awais Zafar to build a more balanced attack suited for the Birmingham conditions.
The revamped squad—which trails the series 2-0—now includes a mix of domestic talent, calling up Saim Ayub, Abdullah Fazal, and five uncapped players.
“When they (Pakistan Cricket Board) told me if I could manage the side for the final Test, these three players (Rizwan, Agha and Imam) were already released from the squad and (were) on their way home. So, I really don't know what happened there,” Hesson told reporters.
“I was involved in the release of the rest of the players and the inclusion of some new players,” he added.
Mike Hesson, who serves as the regular white-ball head coach, was urgently flown to England following a major squad shake-up by the PCB. Red-ball head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were relieved of their duties.
Hesson explained that his sudden appointment caught him in the middle of preparing for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, where he is slated to guide the Pakistan men's cricket team.
“We already had a white-ball camp in Lahore and I had just returned from Japan where the Asian Games are taking place, when I was asked if I could manage the red-ball squad,” he stated.
With Pakistan already out of contention for the Test series, Hesson discussed his squad selection strategy to bring more balance, variety, and bowling all-rounders into the team for the final Test match.
“I decided to make some changes in the squad to get balance into the squad and my emphasis has been on having a bowling attack which has variety and where we have a couple of bowling all-rounders,” he remarked.