Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson has pushed back against criticism that spin-friendly pitches at home are poor preparation for the 2027 ODI World Cup, saying that the tournament’s three host nations offer a wide range of conditions that cannot be reduced to fast and bouncy tracks alone.
The statement comes after Pakistan beat Australia by five wickets in the first ODI in Rawalpindi Saturday, a match where debutant left-arm spinner Arafat Minhas secured a five-wicket haul as Pakistan bowled Australia out for 200.
Green Shirts chased the target down in 42.3 overs, with Babar Azam scoring 69 and Ghazi Ghori contributing 65 in a 127-run stand. However, the win came on a pitch that offered significant purchase to the spinners.
Acknowledging fans’ concerns and questions about Pakistan’s home conditions as well as their suitability for World Cup preparation, Hesson shared on social media a clip from his recent Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) podcast, and wrote, “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.”
“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 is just not true, there are definitely some which are, but they also vary throughout the country [sic],” Hesson added.
Speaking on the podcast, he expanded on the range of conditions Pakistan could face at the tournament.
“You know, somewhere like Paarl is slow and turns. Namibia is slow and turns. Depends in Zimbabwe, whether you’re in Bulawayo, where it’s slow and turns, or you’re in Harare, where there’s a little bit more bounce. So, we can’t just pick a side thinking we’re always going to play in Joburg or Pretoria because the conditions will be very different. So, our squad will have to be able to adapt to playing in all of those conditions,” he said.
The 2027 ICC ODI World Cup is scheduled for October and November 2027 across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. It will be the first time the tournament returns to the African continent since 2003, when South Africa and Zimbabwe previously co-hosted it.
The expanded 14-team edition will feature 54 matches, with South Africa staging the bulk of the games, including the final. Namibia will host a World Cup for the first time in its history.
Hesson said that Pakistan are not leaving preparations to chance. “Rest assured we have completed significant research and will be using the next 16 months to prepare for a variety of conditions.”
