Mike Hesson calls Wasim Junior best death bowler, then benches him in 3 straight tournaments

Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson has made a mockery of himself with his controversial statement on the young pacer Mohammad Wasim Jr Mike Hesson got something to cheer about after the Men in Green won the T20I series 2-1 against South Africa, but his old statement about Mohammad Wasim Jr resurfaced.

Earlier this year, Mike Hesson had praised Wasim Jr as one of Pakistan’s most skilled death bowlers before the start of the T20I Tri-Nation series in August 2025. The Pakistan coach was in awe of the seamer’s ability to deliver precise yorkers and effectively use reverse swing, particularly in death overs.

Mike Hesson faces backlash as his “Best Death Bowler” Wasim Jr remains benched for months

Mike Hesson had stated, “Wasim Jr is probably the best death bowler in Pakistan.” However, things have taken a surprising turn since the former New Zealand head coach’s bold statement ahead of the T20I Tri-Nation series involving Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the UAE.

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Despite being hailed as a key asset for the Pakistan cricket team by the head coach, the young pacer has not featured in a single match across multiple recent tournaments.

Wasim Jr was not given a single game during the entire T20I Tri-Nation series, followed by the Asia Cup 2025, and most recently, the three-match T20I series against South Africa.

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Having witnessed the 24-year-old sidelined over the past three to four months, fans didn’t take time to troll Mike Hesson, as the coach has not played his “best death bowler” in the crucial games.

Notably, Mohammad Wasim Jr last played for Pakistan during their tour of New Zealand in April this year, while his last T20I appearance was against the same opponent at Christchurch in January 2024.

He has so far played two Tests, 22 ODIs, and 29 T20Is for Pakistan and scalped 2, 36, and 36 wickets, respectively. Wasim Jr has 117 wickets in 99 T20s to his name at an average of 26.00 and an economy rate of 8.71.

Pakistan vs South Africa 3rd T20I Highlight

Meanwhile, Pakistan wrapped up the T20I series against South Africa with a 2-1 win after a tense four-wicket victory in the final match at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday, November 1. It was a match full of drama, early wickets, and some solid middle-order fightbacks.

Captain Salman Ali Agha’s call to bowl first worked perfectly as Shaheen Afridi struck twice in the very first over, removing Quinton de Kock and Lhuan-dre Pretorius.

South Africa never really recovered from that shaky start. Reeza Hendricks and Dewald Brevis tried to steady things with a small partnership, but the run-scoring rate was too slow.

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Men in Green beat a SENA team after 3 years

Late cameos from Donovan Ferreira and Corbin Bosch pushed the total to 139/9. Pakistan’s chase didn’t begin well either, with Saim Ayub falling for a duck and Sahibzada Farhan getting out after a quick start. But Babar Azam anchored the innings with a classy 68 off 47 balls.

But then a sudden collapse saw Pakistan lose a few quick wickets, but Usman Khan and Faheem Ashraf kept their cool and finished the job in the 19th over. The win not only sealed the series but also gave Pakistan a much-needed boost ahead of their ODI series against the Proteas side.