Pakistan team head coach Mike Hesson made a huge claim before his side’s Asia Cup 2025 game against India and called left-arm tweaker Mohammad Nawaz the best spinner in the world today. India and Pakistan will clash on Sunday, September 14, in Dubai.

Before playing India, Pakistan will clash with Oman in Dubai on September 12, and the Men in Green are coming into the Asia Cup on the back of the tri-series final win over Afghanistan. Pakistan had won the summit clash by 75 runs thanks to Nawaz’s sensational hat-trick.

With slow and sluggish pitches in the UAE, spin has become central to Pakistan’s strategy. And Hesson hailed the depth of Pakistan’s bowling resources, making a strong statement about Nawaz.

“When you’ve got wrist spinners like that, it doesn’t really matter about the surface as much. The beauty of our side is we’ve got five spinners. We’ve got Mohammad Nawaz, who’s the best spin bowler in the world at the moment, and he’s been ranked that way over the last six months since he’s come back on the side,” Hesson said at the pre-match presser.

By highlighting Salman Ali Agha's limited possibilities, he further emphasized the strength in depth.

“And Salman Ali has hardly bowled, and he’s also the Test spinner for Pakistan. So, we’ve got a lot of spin bowling options if we think conditions suit that. If we don’t, we’ve got five seamers as well, who allow us to either go for airspeed or change of pace or reverse swing, depending on what the surface provides,” he added.

Hesson also offered his thoughts on the current controversy surrounding the strike rates of Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam in T20Is.

“Being honest about your assessment of players is important, and coming from a place with no agenda is also important. I haven’t talked about anyone’s frailties. What I’ve alluded to is the way the modern game is played, and the strike rate required in the power play is quite different from the past, especially in good conditions,” Hesson said.

(Times of India inputs)