Karachi, March 9 Pakistan's white-ball coach Mike Hesson says the exclusion of senior players such as Babar Azam, Saim Ayub, and Naseem Shah from the One-day series in Bangladesh should not be interpreted as punishment for poor performance in the recently concluded T20 World Cup.
Coming under pressure after Pakistan's exit before the knockout stage, Hesson insisted that Pakistan had limited opportunities to test promising young talent, and the series in Bangladesh was one such opportunity.
"I wouldn't say anyone was dropped. We simply see this series as an opportunity to give these promising players a chance to prove themselves," he said.
The Pakistani selectors did not include Babar and his team in the ODI squad for the three-match series in Bangladesh after most of the seniors failed to perform in the World T20 Cup won by India on Sunday in Ahmedabad.
Hesson said, with the ODI World Cup scheduled for next year, they wanted to see how promising players would respond.
"Sahabzada Farhan has forced himself into the ODI squad due to his exceptional performances in T20s, and young players like Shamyl Hussain or Maaz Sadaqat have been doing well in domestic cricket and junior sides," he said.
"This series will not be easy, as Bangladesh has been playing a lot more one-day cricket than us. I see this series as a big opportunity for these new players," Hesson added.
Reports that Hesson was in conflict with the national selectors and some players over issues of authority were confirmed on Sunday by former Test bowler Sikander Bakht, who said on Geo News that every player in the World Cup squad was Hesson's choice.
Sikander, who remained advisor to the PCB Chairman, disclosed that he had attended selection committee meetings and he and selector Aleem Dar had both had arguments with the foreign coach over the selection of certain players and strategies.
"I was involved in an argument with him. Aleem also spoke up, but the rest of the selectors simply sat quietly and didn't question Hesson's decisions," Sikander said.
Former elite panel umpire, Aleem, recently resigned after reports that he was unhappy with the way Hesson was managing things and interfering in selection matters.
Sikander claimed that the selectors gave Hesson 20 names, and he just picked his 15, refusing to listen to any other debate.
Sikander also criticised the role of national T20 captain Salman Ali Agha in selection matters.
