Pakistan coach Mike Hesson slams 'unacceptable' Mirpur pitch: Here's why
What's the story
Pakistan cricket team head coach Mike Hesson has slammed the surface at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, calling it "unacceptable" for international cricket. His comments come after Pakistan perished for just 110 runs in their first T20I match against Bangladesh at the venue. The hosts later won by seven wickets with 27 balls to spare.
Pitch criticism
Hesson's comments on the pitch
Hesson admitted that his batters had misread the pitch conditions but still maintained that it was not up to international standards. "I think (the pitch) is not ideal for anybody," he said. "Teams are trying to prepare for the Asia Cup or the T20 World Cup. It is not acceptable." He added, "It still doesn't take away from the fact you have to perform better on any surface."
Match analysis
Coach on Pakistan's batting performance
Pakistan's batting woes were evident as they slipped to 46/5 by the eighth over. Three run-outs also added to their misery as they were bowled out in just 19.3 overs. Hesson said, "We got off to a little bit of a flyer. Fakhar Zaman played four or five shots." He added that this gave them a false impression about how the surface was playing.
Divergent views
Parvez Hossain Emon defends the pitch
Contrary to Hesson's criticism, Bangladesh opener Parvez Hossain Emon defended the pitch. He said their team's comfortable win was proof that the surface wasn't as bad as claimed. "We didn't feel (it was a bad pitch) as we chased it down in less than 16 overs," Emon said. He added, "It may be so that they couldn't adjust to the pitch."
Match
How the series opener panned out
Bangladesh defeated Pakistan by seven wickets in 1st T20I. A disciplined bowling effort saw Bangladesh bowl Pakistan out for 110 in 19.3 overs. As per Cricbuzz, this was the first instance of Bangladesh bowling out Pakistan in a T20I. Taskin Ahmed picked a three-fer, whereas Mustafizur Rahman was stupendous with an economical effort. In reponse, a fifty from Parvez Hossain Emon stole the show for Bangladesh.