LAHORE: Pakistan white-ball head coach Mike Hesson has revealed his top priorities ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup include improving the team’s poise and preparing for South African conditions.
The 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia and is tentatively scheduled to be held from October 4 to November 21, 2027.
Speaking during a recent interview with a local sports site, Hessan said that Pakistan are desperately looking for a genuine seam-bowling all-rounder capable of strengthening the ODI side.
He said training camps and domestic cricket are used to identify players who can fill special roles.
“We’re waiting for someone to raise their hand,” Hessen said.
The former New Zealand coach believes Pakistan need to be mentally strong after repeatedly struggling against teams that have dominated them in recent years. He aims to shake off the risk-taking mentality that has plagued the side’s performance against strong opponents.
Preparation for the World Cup also includes adapting to the expected conditions in South Africa, where the tournament will be held.
Insisting that Pakistan’s ambition to win the 2027 ODI World Cup remains unchanged despite their modest record in recent editions, Hesson said the fielders will be advised to prepare pitches as expected during the tournament.
He stressed that the ultimate objective is to win the tournament, but admitted that progress beyond the group stage requires consistent consistency.
“Like any team, we come to a World Cup and we try to win the World Cup. We are no different. But we know to do that, we have to play consistent cricket throughout to qualify for the group stage,” he said.
The 51-year-old also insisted that Pakistan’s expectations are no different from any other leading cricketing nation.
However, he emphasized that success in global tournaments depends on focusing on one tournament at a time rather than looking too far ahead.
“Every team I’ve been in, every team that’s won, hasn’t thought too far. You can’t win the World Cup before you play your first game. But our expectations are no different than anyone else’s.”
Since winning the 1992 ODI World Cup, in 1999, Pakistan have reached the finals just once and have notably made a group-stage exit in four of their last six matches, making the 2027 tournament a key target under Mike Hesson’s tenure.