Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson has criticised the quality of the Mirpur pitch, saying it is “not ideal for T20Is” and unsuitable for teams preparing for major tournaments like the Asia Cup or the T20 World Cup.
Speaking after Pakistan’s seven-wicket defeat to Bangladesh in the first T20I at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Hesson said: “I think it is not ideal for anybody. Teams are trying to prepare for the Asia Cup or the World Cup. It is not acceptable. It is still no excuse for some of the decisions we made with the bat. But this pitch is not up to international standards.”
His comments came just a day after Bangladesh captain Litton Das said playing at this venue has “significantly impacted the careers of many players.” The surface once again came under scrutiny during Friday’s match, which followed a familiar pattern of low scoring and difficult stroke play in the first innings.
Pakistan, sent in to bat, were bowled out for 110 after collapsing to 46 for five. Fakhar Zaman provided a brief spark with 44 off 34 balls, but no other batter managed to cross 15. “We got off to a little bit of a flyer. Fakhar Zaman played four or five shots. It gave us a false indication about how the surface was playing,” said Hesson.
“We didn’t help ourselves through the middle. We chose some poor options. When the ball started to nip through and bounced steeply, we probably didn’t assess that it was a bit more challenging to play high-risk shots. A couple of run outs also didn’t help.”
Bangladesh chased down the target with ease, aided by heavy dew in the second innings that softened the conditions. But Hesson felt the bigger concern lies in what such pitches mean for long-term development.
“I am not here to help Bangladesh. But you need good cricket wickets to develop cricketers. There were some good wickets during the BPL, to be fair. But this one is not up to the standard when international cricket is being played.”
He also pointed out the mental challenge of setting a target on such surfaces: “Batting first in these situations is challenging. When you aren’t quite sure whether 100 or 130 or 150 is good enough… I don’t think the pitch is good for anybody. But that still doesn’t take away the fact that you have to perform better on any surface. We will look at it as a team.”
The Mirpur pitch has long been under scrutiny, notably during Bangladesh’s series wins over Australia and New Zealand in 2021, where low scores dominated. Bangladesh have since struggled to translate those results into success abroad, culminating in a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign.