Pakistan white-ball head coach Mike Hesson has said it is unrealistic to expect the team to suddenly win an ICC title after years of inconsistent performances. Hesson added that long-term success comes through steady improvement and consistent performances rather than immediate results in major events.
The Men in Green have struggled in recent ICC events, suffering group-stage exits at the 2023 ODI World Cup, the 2024 T20 World Cup, and the 2025 Champions Trophy. However, the team showed some progress at the 2026 T20 World Cup by reaching the Super Eight stage instead of exiting in the first round.
We Have Achieved That - Mike Hesson on Pakistan's Improvement
Mike Hesson said that his first priority after taking charge was to make Pakistan a more consistent team. He added that the team has improved significantly, with its series win rate rising from around 20 percent to nearly 70 percent.
"When you inherit a team that wins only 20 per cent of its matches, it is a major challenge. Our first objective was to build consistency in both performances and results, and we have achieved that. We are now winning far more series than before. Our success rate has risen from 20 per cent to around 70 per cent," Hesson told Geo News.
You Cannot Become World Champions - Mike Hesson Explains Pakistan's Long-Term Plan
Hesson said that Pakistan have made progress, including reaching the Super Eight stage at the 2026 T20 World Cup. However, he stressed that winning ICC tournaments requires consistent success over a long period rather than short bursts of good performances.
"There has been significant improvement compared to where we were before, although there is still plenty of work to do. We need to win consistently because you cannot become world champions with a win rate of just 23 per cent. We still have time before the next ICC event, and we have improved in several key areas," Hesson added.
Pakistan reached the Super Eight stage at the 2026 T20 World Cup after early exits from the 2023 ODI World Cup, the 2024 T20 World Cup, and the 2025 Champions Trophy. However, they failed to advance to the semifinal in the tournament.
Structure Contracts Around the Demands of the Modern Game - Mike Hesson Backs PCB's New System
Mike Hesson also supported the PCB's new five-track central contract system. He said that modern cricket requires players to focus on the formats that best suit their skills instead of trying to play every format.
"Cricket boards now need to structure contracts around the demands of the modern game, allowing players to focus on the formats that best suit their skills. T20 specialists should prioritise franchise cricket to sharpen their white-ball skills, while players targeting success in Test cricket should focus on first-class cricket instead of attempting to excel across all formats," Hesson explained.
The new PCB contract model includes Track AB for multi-format players, Track A for Test specialists, Track BC for white-ball players, Track C for franchise specialists, and Track D for emerging cricketers.
