Introduction
Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson has acknowledged the growing gap between Pakistan and India in white-ball cricket, saying his side’s challenge is to “catch up” with their neighbours as the two teams prepare for the 2026 Asian Games.
Hesson’s comments come at an important stage for Pakistan’s T20 side. India have won major recent T20 tournaments and have built a strong record in the shortest format, while Pakistan are continuing to develop their approach under Hesson.
Speaking to reporters before Pakistan’s departure for Japan, Hesson described India as the current benchmark in white-ball cricket. He also stressed that Pakistan are working to improve their own game rather than focusing exclusively on their traditional rivals.
The comments have renewed discussion about Pakistan’s batting approach, strike rates, squad selection, fielding standards and the team’s preparations for future global tournaments.
Mike Hesson Calls India the White-Ball Benchmark
Hesson’s assessment was direct: India currently set the standard in white-ball cricket, and Pakistan need to reduce the gap.
“India are the benchmark in terms of white-ball cricket at the moment, and our challenge is to catch up to that,” Hesson said, according to reports from his pre-Asian Games media interaction.
The statement reflects the results of recent encounters between the two sides.
According to the Hindustan Times, India have won the last six T20I meetings between the teams, including three matches during the 2025 Asia Cup. Pakistan also lost to India at the 2026 T20 World Cup.
However, Hesson has previously argued that Pakistan’s overall progress should not be judged solely through its matches against India.
Pakistan’s T20 Journey Under Hesson
Mike Hesson took charge of Pakistan’s white-ball teams in 2025.
One of his major objectives has been to modernise Pakistan’s approach to T20 cricket and prepare the side for major international tournaments.
In earlier comments, Hesson highlighted Pakistan’s scoring rates as an area requiring improvement. He explained that strike rate is important in T20 cricket but should be considered alongside the volume of runs a batter produces.
His argument was not simply that every batter should reach a particular strike-rate figure.
Instead, the coach wanted players to increase their overall impact and help Pakistan avoid falling significantly behind the required scoring rate.
Hesson previously said Pakistan could sometimes be 30 to 40 runs short with the bat, identifying greater attacking intent as one way of addressing the problem.
Why India Have Become the Benchmark
India’s recent T20 success provides an important context for Hesson’s comments.
The Indian team has combined aggressive batting, multiple bowling options, athletic fielding and considerable depth.
Its T20 structure has also provided opportunities for players to develop through domestic cricket and franchise competitions before moving into international cricket.
For Pakistan, matching that level requires improvements across several areas rather than simply producing better performances in India-Pakistan matches.
Batting intent, power hitting, running between wickets, death bowling, fielding and squad depth all influence modern T20 results.
The Importance of Strike Rate in Modern T20 Cricket
One of Hesson’s recurring themes has been Pakistan’s batting strike rate.
T20 cricket provides only 120 legal deliveries per innings. That makes the value of each scoring opportunity particularly important.
A team that loses too many deliveries without scoring can place significant pressure on its middle and lower order.
Hesson has therefore encouraged Pakistan’s batters to play a more expansive style.
The coach previously explained that the objective was not simply to force every batter to change from one specific strike rate to another. Instead, he wanted players to increase what they could contribute to the team.
That approach could affect how Pakistan select opening batters and construct their middle order.
Babar Azam and the T20 Selection Debate
Babar Azam remains one of the biggest names associated with Pakistan cricket.
However, his role in the T20I team has been debated as Pakistan look for a more aggressive batting approach.
Hesson previously clarified that Babar was not being considered as a wicketkeeping option and was instead competing for an opening position. At the time, Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub were also competing for those roles.
Hesson acknowledged that Babar, like several other Pakistan players, could improve his scoring rate.
At the same time, the coach continued to recognise the value of experienced players.
The broader message was that experienced cricketers should be helped to adapt rather than automatically discarded.
Pakistan Need More Than Just Big Hitters
Catching up with India does not necessarily mean filling the Pakistan batting order with players who only attack from the first ball.
T20 cricket requires balance.
A successful batting lineup needs players who can handle different match situations.
One batter may provide a fast start during the powerplay. Another may build an innings while maintaining an acceptable scoring rate. Middle-order players may need to attack spin, while finishers must handle pace and pressure during the final overs.
Pakistan’s challenge is therefore to create a flexible batting unit capable of changing gears.
Pakistan’s Recent T20 Progress
While Hesson has acknowledged the gap with India, he has also defended Pakistan’s recent T20 progress.
A report published on September 23 quoted Hesson saying that Pakistan’s T20 side should be assessed separately from its Test and ODI teams. He argued that the T20 team’s results over the previous 15 months showed improvement.
This distinction is important.
Pakistan’s three international formats require different skills and strategies.
Test cricket demands patience and long-term concentration. ODI cricket requires a balance between accumulation and acceleration. T20 cricket places much greater emphasis on immediate scoring, flexible tactics and specialist roles.
Hesson believes these differences should be considered when evaluating Pakistan’s overall cricket performance.
India-Pakistan Rivalry Adds Extra Pressure
Few sporting rivalries attract as much attention as India versus Pakistan.
Because the two teams rarely play bilateral cricket, their meetings are generally associated with major international tournaments.
This means every encounter carries enormous public attention.
Hesson has previously suggested that this focus can make it difficult to assess Pakistan’s progress objectively.
Pakistan may perform well throughout a tournament but still face heavy criticism if they lose to India.
In July 2026, Hesson argued that Pakistan had performed strongly in several matches during the previous Asia Cup and T20 World Cup even though losses against India attracted much of the attention.
That perspective remains relevant as Pakistan prepare for another possible meeting with India.
Asian Games Could Produce Another India-Pakistan Match
The 2026 Asian Games provide another potential stage for the rivalry.
Pakistan and India are on opposite sides of the men’s T20 draw.
According to Dawn, they cannot meet in the semi-finals, meaning a match could occur in either the gold-medal final or the bronze-medal playoff if both teams progress far enough.
This means a potential India-Pakistan match remains dependent on both teams successfully navigating the earlier stages.
Hesson has said Pakistan are preparing as well as they can for such a possibility.
However, he also emphasised that there is plenty of cricket to be played before the two sides could meet.
India Have Recent T20I Success on Their Side
India’s recent record provides the clearest statistical context for Hesson’s remarks.
The team has been consistently successful in international T20 cricket and has defeated Pakistan in recent meetings.
That record does not mean every future match will follow the same pattern, but it does explain why Hesson describes India as the current benchmark.
Pakistan’s challenge is to develop a system that can consistently compete with the strongest teams rather than relying on individual performances.
Pakistan’s Bowling Still Has Major Strengths
Although Hesson has placed significant emphasis on batting, Pakistan continue to possess considerable bowling talent.
Fast bowlers have traditionally been one of Pakistan’s strongest areas.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and other pace options have provided Pakistan with wicket-taking ability across different phases of matches.
Pakistan also have spin options such as Abrar Ahmed and Shadab Khan.
The challenge is to combine these resources into a bowling attack that can consistently restrict teams to manageable totals.
Shaheen Afridi Remains an Important Figure
Shaheen Afridi has been a key player for Pakistan in white-ball cricket.
Hesson previously described him as a world-class player while also explaining that the coaching staff had identified areas for improvement.
The coach’s approach was to help experienced players return stronger rather than immediately ruling them out.
That philosophy could be important as Pakistan build their squad for future T20 competitions.
A fit and effective Shaheen provides Pakistan with a left-arm pace option capable of creating problems during the powerplay and later stages.
Fielding Is Another Area of Focus
Modern T20 cricket can be decided by very small margins.
A dropped catch, missed run-out or poorly defended boundary can change a match.
Hesson has therefore placed attention on Pakistan’s fielding standards.
Pakistan appointed Shane McDermott as fielding coach, with an emphasis on athleticism and intensity during training.
Improving fielding could give Pakistan another way to reduce the gap with leading T20 teams.
Building a Deeper T20 Talent Pool
Another part of Pakistan’s challenge is developing enough players to maintain competition for places.
A strong T20 team needs more than 11 reliable players.
International tournaments can involve injuries, changes in form, different pitches and tactical requirements.
Pakistan therefore need players who can step into the team without dramatically changing its balance.
The emergence of younger players such as Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Mirza and others has added competition within the squad.
This competition can be valuable as Pakistan prepare for future tournaments.
The Role of Domestic and Franchise Cricket
Domestic and franchise cricket play an important role in modern T20 development.
Players gain experience against different bowling styles and learn how to manage pressure in short matches.
Pakistan’s domestic structure and the Pakistan Super League provide important opportunities for players to develop their T20 skills.
However, international cricket requires players to transfer those skills to a different environment.
Hesson’s challenge is to identify players whose skills can translate effectively to international T20 cricket.
Why Catching Up Is a Long-Term Process
Hesson’s statement should not be interpreted as a call for Pakistan to copy India’s cricketing model exactly.
Every cricket board operates under different circumstances.
Pakistan have their own playing traditions, domestic structures, coaching resources and player pool.
The objective is instead to close the performance gap by identifying areas where the team can improve.
That could include scoring more efficiently, improving fielding, strengthening the middle order, developing finishers and creating greater bowling depth.
Pakistan’s Future T20 World Cup Preparations
The Asian Games are only one part of Pakistan’s wider T20 planning.
Hesson has previously said the coaching staff were working backwards from the T20 World Cup and identifying areas that needed improvement before the tournament.
That approach gives the team time to experiment.
Players can be tested in different roles during bilateral series and smaller competitions before major tournaments arrive.
For Pakistan, the goal is to avoid discovering weaknesses only after entering a World Cup.
What Pakistan Can Learn From India’s T20 Approach
There are several broad areas Pakistan can study when looking at India’s recent T20 success.
Aggressive Powerplay Batting
India have regularly looked to score quickly during the first six overs.
Pakistan can develop similar intent while still maintaining wickets.
Batting Depth
Having multiple players capable of contributing runs gives a team greater flexibility.
Pakistan can benefit from developing all-rounders and lower-order batters who can contribute under pressure.
Flexible Bowling
T20 teams need bowlers who can operate in different phases.
Pakistan’s fast bowlers and spinners can be used according to match conditions rather than relying on rigid plans.
Athletic Fielding
Quick movement and reliable catching can save runs and create wickets.
Improving fielding is therefore another way for Pakistan to compete with leading international teams.
The Importance of Adaptability
T20 cricket changes quickly.
A strategy that works on one pitch may fail on another.
A batter who dominates pace bowling may struggle against quality spin.
A bowler who performs well during the powerplay may be less effective at the death.
Pakistan therefore need adaptable players.
Hesson’s emphasis on increasing what players can offer fits this requirement.
The objective is not simply to create players with one skill but cricketers who can adjust according to the match situation.
Can Pakistan Close the Gap?
Hesson’s comments provide a clear description of the challenge rather than a prediction about future results.
India currently have a strong record in T20 cricket, while Pakistan are working to improve their approach.
The gap can be measured through results, batting efficiency, bowling performances, fielding and consistency.
Pakistan have several high-quality players and a strong cricketing culture, but translating individual talent into consistent team performance remains an important objective.
The Asian Games could provide another opportunity to test the progress of the T20 side.
Conclusion
Mike Hesson’s assessment that Pakistan need to “catch up” with India underlines the competitive challenge facing the Pakistan T20 team.
India’s recent performances have established them as an important benchmark in white-ball cricket, while Pakistan continue to develop their own style under Hesson.
For Pakistan, closing the gap will involve more than winning an occasional high-profile match.
The team must continue improving batting strike rates, powerplay scoring, middle-order depth, bowling flexibility and fielding standards.
Experienced players such as Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi remain part of the wider discussion, while younger players are also being given opportunities to establish themselves.
The potential India-Pakistan meeting at the 2026 Asian Games adds another layer of interest, although the teams must first progress through their respective paths in the tournament.
Ultimately, Hesson’s message is about development and preparation. Pakistan’s target is to build a T20 side capable of competing consistently with the strongest teams in international cricket.
As the next generation of T20 tournaments approaches, the progress of that rebuilding process will be closely followed by cricket fans around the world.