LAHORE: Pakistan white-ball team’s head coach Mike Hesson has emphasised the need to broaden the pool of players in order to develop a strong squad ahead of the ICC 50-over World Cup next year.

“With the [2027] World Cup in mind, we have to widen the group [of players]. Rather than selecting the same players all the time, the ODI squad remains a work in progress. We need to identify the best squad possible over the next year and a half,” Hesson said in a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) podcast on Saturday.

The 2027 World Cup featuring 14 teams will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in October-November.

Commenting on Pakistan’s preparations for the World Cup, Hesson said adaptability will be the key.

“We are already exploring opportunities to play in conditions similar to those expected at the World Cup because the venues across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia are all different and adaptability will be important,” the New Zealander said.

Pakistan are scheduled to face Australia in a three-match ODI home series starting later this month. The hosts have selected a number of young players for this series. Hesson says that the new players need time to settle and perform.

“There needs to be patience with younger players. International cricket is challenging and not every player performs immediately. Some players simply need time and experience,” he underlined.

Responding to a query regarding Pakistan’s plans after the Australia ODIs, Hesson said: “There will be camps starting straight after the Australia series, with different players coming into the set-up, while our focus would very much be on one-day cricket.”

According to Hesson, the training camp concluded at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore recently helped him spot fresh talent.

“The last two weeks provided a good opportunity for us to identify new talent, assess them alongside existing players and understand where the gaps are. Some of these young players are promising, but there is still work to do.

“New players coming into international cricket sometimes require time. They have earned opportunities through strong domestic performances and we have to give them enough time to develop,” he added.

Hesson wants Pakistan fans to support youngsters.

“We know Australia will be a strong challenge [in the forthcoming home series], but we want [Pakistan] fans to continue backing the team and also support the younger players coming through.”

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2026