Pakistan Builds ODI Depth for 2027 World Cup

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-05-24

Pakistan white-ball head coach Mike Hesson is building a larger pool of players for the 2027 ODI World Cup. On 22 May 2026, the Pakistan Cricket Board named a 16-member squad to play Australia in a three-match home series starting on 30 May. Hesson wants to find the best possible team by testing new talent against experienced stars in Rawalpindi and Lahore. He describes the current side as a work in progress and plans to fix specific flaws in bowling and batting. ### Pakistan Announces Squad for Australia ODI Series Australia will play three One Day Internationals in Pakistan from 30 May to 4 June 2026. The first match will be played in Rawalpindi while the last two matches will be played in Lahore. The Pakistan selectors have made major changes to the national team for the tournament. This schedule allows the team to test different combinations in front of home fans. Here's the 16-member squad: - Shaheen Shah Afridi (Captain) - Salman Ali Agha (Vice Captain) - Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (Wicket Keeper) - Babar Azam - Abdul Samad - Sahibzada Farhan - Shamyl Hussain - Rohail Nazir - Shadab Khan - Arafat Minhas - Naseem Shah - Haris Rauf - Abrar Ahmed - Ahmed Daniyal - Maaz Sadaqat - Sufyan Moqim Star batter Babar Azam and fast bowler Haris Rauf return to the squad after missing previous matches. Naseem Shah and Shadab Khan also rejoin the team to strengthen the bowling attack. However, the selectors dropped veteran wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan from the 16-man list. Hesson explains that the team needs to look at younger options to prepare for the future. Furthermore, regular openers Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub will miss the series due to injuries.  ### Hesson Focuses on Long-Term World Cup Goals The head coach believes that Pakistan must not rely on the same small group of players every time. Therefore, he is widening the group to ensure the team has the best 15 players ready in 18 months. Hesson views the Australia series as a perfect challenge because Australia is very strong in the ODI format. Meanwhile, he asks fans to be patient with the new players as they adjust to international cricket. He argues that real development happens through careful planning rather than just winning individual matches. ### Hesson Identified Gaps in the Current Setup Hesson has highlighted three main areas where Pakistan must improve to win a World Cup. The coaching staff recently finished a two-week white-ball camp at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). This camp allowed Hesson to identify fresh talent and challenge them against existing players. He noticed that players often received different messages from different coaches in the past. Now, the NCA staff and the national team management share one consistent message for every player. Hesson has changed how the PCB selects the national team. Under the current system, selectors provide a list of 20 players. The head coach and the captain then select the final 15 players. This gives Hesson more power to shape the team to his vision. He believes in giving players ownership of their games. He also calls on youngsters to play in foreign leagues to experience different conditions. ### Hesson Planning for African Conditions The 2027 World Cup will take place in three different countries with very different pitches. Hesson is already planning tours to South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia to help the players adapt. The spinners are often helped by pitch conditions from Paarl in South Africa and Bulawayo in Zimbabwe. But venues in Johannesburg and Harare can be tricky for batsmen. Hesson wants his team to be ready for anything. He's also looking at the weather patterns in those regions. The heat and altitude can affect how the ball moves. So he's preparing the squad for those challenges too. ### What This Means for Pakistan Cricket This is a bold move by Hesson. He's not just thinking about the next series. He's building for a bigger goal. The fans might miss some familiar faces, but the strategy is clear. If Pakistan wants to win the World Cup in 2027, they need to start now. Hesson is giving young players a chance to learn from the best. And he's making sure everyone is on the same page. That's how you build a winning team.