Colombo: Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson on Friday dismissed claims that the demotion of batting stalwart Babar Azam and the omission of pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi for the Namibia match were knee-jerk reactions of the crushing defeat against India in the T20 World Cup, maintaining the decisions were purely tactical.
India outclassed Pakistan by 61 runs in yet another high-voltage clash between the arch-rivals with opener Ishan Kishan spearheading the emphatic triumph with a commanding knock in a group stage league match.
Shaheen Afridi endured a costly outing, leaking 15 runs in his final over, and Babar fell for just five runs, failing to live up to the high expectations.
Hesson cited Babar’s powerplay strike rate and team roles as reasons for the changes, emphasizing tactical decisions over reactions to the defeat. The coach also discussed the versatility of spinner Usman Tariq and downplayed any psychological edge Pakistan might have over New Zealand.
