Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson has expressed confidence that his side will produce their finest cricket in the tri-series final against Sri Lanka, scheduled for October 31 at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, despite already securing their place in the decider with three successive victories in the league stage.
Hesson acknowledged that the team had performed well without yet hitting their ceiling. Shaheen Afridi and Co. have three wins and one defeat so far in the campaign.
"It's been a pretty good couple of weeks. We have played some decent cricket without being perfect. To get three wins in a row without contributions from a few of our key players is a good sign," Hesson said while speaking to PCB Digital.
"I still don't think we have played our best game yet. Hopefully, we are saving that for the final," he added.
Pakistan's league-stage campaign included a 37-run victory over Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on October 18, 2026, followed by an 87-run win against England at the same venue on October 20, 2026. Their third consecutive win came on October 25, 2026, at Gaddafi Stadium, where Shadab Khan struck his maiden ODI century as Pakistan edged England by one wicket. However, Pakistan then suffered a defeat to Sri Lanka by eight wickets at Gaddafi Stadium on October 27, 2026, but they made it to the final. The squad resumed training at the LCCA Ground in Lahore on the rest day ahead of the decider.
Hesson has been Pakistan's white-ball head coach for approximately one year and has overseen 12 victories from 19 ODIs during that period. Under his watch, Pakistan have secured ODI series wins against South Africa, Sri Lanka and Australia.
On the bowling front, Hesson lauded Shaheen and the fellow bowlers like Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, and the young Arafat Minhas.
"Shaheen Shah continues to take top-order wickets for us, which is critical. Both Naseem and Haris have bowled nicely at times throughout the tournament, while Arafat Minhas, as a young player, is continuing to develop. There are some good signs there," Hesson said.
Hesson also heaped praise on middle-order batter Hasan Nawaz, who has scored 148 runs in four innings at an average of 37 in the tri-series so far.
"Hasan Nawaz is showing some really good progress. I am really pleased with the way he is developing. When you are a younger player batting in the middle order, you have got to learn how to control the chase, understand risk and manage it. That’s something Hasan is continuing to get better at," Hesson stated.
