Pakistan will begin their Asia Cup campaign against Oman on Friday (September 12).
Pakistan are primarily known for producing some high-quality fast bowlers in the likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar and the list goes on. There are very few Pakistan spinners who have achieved greater heights at the international level. Now, former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Pakistan’s newly appointed white-ball coach Mike Hesson has added another spinner to the list, making a bold claim. Ahead of their Asia Cup 2025 campaign opener against Oman on Friday (September 12) before the much-anticipated clash against India on Sunday (September 14), Hesson declared left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz as the current best spinner in the world.
Pakistan are coming into the Asia Cup 2025 following their emphatic tri-series triumph against teams like Afghanistan and United Arab Emirates. The Men in Green successfully defended a modest 142-run target in the final and won the game by a massive margin of 75 runs against Rashid Khan’s Afghanistan, courtesy of Nawaz’s brilliant outing with the ball.
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The left-arm spinner ripped apart the opposition batting lineup, claiming five wickets in his four overs, conceding just 19 runs off his spell. In the process, the 31-year-old took a sensational hat-trick, including the wickets of Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Azamatullah Omarzai and Ibrahim Zadran. Other two leg-spinners Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem also played crucial part, picking up two wickets apiece, showcasing shift in focus from pacers to spinners from Pakistan.
Echoing on the same lines at the pre-match press conference on Thursday (September 11), Mike Hesson praised their spin-bowling unit, highlighting the depth in their bowling resources.
“When you’ve got wrist spinners like that, it doesn’t really matter about the surface as much. The beauty of our side is we’ve got five spinners. We’ve got Mohammad Nawaz, who’s the best spin bowler in the world at the moment, and he’s been ranked that way over the last six months since he’s come back on the side,” Hesson said.
The left-arm spinner is also a handy batter down the order and takes charge against opposition bowlers when needed. He also boasts vast experience playing in different countries and conditions.
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