Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali slammed the Salman Ali Agha-led team after their exit from the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 without reaching the semifinals. The cricketer-turned-expert called it Mike Hesson’s team, blaming the head coach for fielding a franchise-style side for the Pakistan national cricket team.
Pakistan missed out on a semifinal spot in the T20 World Cup 2026 due to net run rate (NRR). They defeated Sri Lanka by five runs in their final Super 8 match in Pallekele on Saturday, February 28. The Men in Green finished third in Group 2, behind New Zealand, as the narrow win was not enough for them.
They Wouldn’t Have Been Eliminated From the Semis – Basit Ali
Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman added a 176-run partnership for the first wicket, which put Pakistan in a strong position to improve their net run rate. However, the team lost eight wickets while adding only 49 runs in the final five overs.
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Speaking on his YouTube channel, Basit Ali lamented the middle order for its disappointing performance. He said that if they had added more runs, the semifinal spot would have been theirs.
“If Pakistan had scored 65 runs instead of 36 in those final overs, they wouldn’t have been eliminated from the semis.”
Mike Hesson Openly Said That Babar Lacks Intent in the Powerplay – Basit Ali
Basit Ali questioned why Babar Azam was picked if the head coach felt he lacked intent and had a low strike rate in the powerplay. He also raised questions about Babar’s batting position.
“He openly said that Babar lacks intent in the powerplay and his strike rate is so low,” Basit said. “If he’s not suitable after 10 slow overs, then why was he selected in the team? Who picked him, and who’s going to hold the head coach accountable?”
“I’ve said this on TV before — don’t bat Babar at number four, that spot just doesn’t suit him. You can’t even make that sacrifice — that the guy should come in at number three and score runs. So your intentions weren’t right.”
He further stated that Usman Khan was pushed down the order after scoring 44 runs off around 20 balls against India. Basit said that Usman was not backed by the team management and was never a preferred option.
“He’s just not a favourite, honestly,” Basit said, with the matter-of-fact tone of someone who has watched this particular pattern repeat itself too many times to be surprised by it. “The truth is, he’s not favoured.”
Don’t Call It Pakistan’s Team, Call It Mike Hesson’s Team – Basit Ali
Basit Ali called leaving out Abrar Ahmed a repeated mistake throughout the tournament. He also took aim at former Pakistan players working as television experts, questioning why some of them were openly backing Shadab Khan as a future captain.
“The England match we lost — Abrar wasn’t there. Today, Usman Tariq got hammered, but Abrar needed to be there,” he said. “These are the things I never forget. When it comes to cricket, it’s my habit to make detailed notes — if I showed you, it’d fill pages.”
“Seriously — have some shame and give some real advice for the country,” he said. “You’ve represented this country. Is this what we get?”
He then accused the team management of running Pakistan cricket like a franchise setup, claiming the side looked more like a club team than a national one. Basit urged the Pakistan Cricket Board to bring in experienced people and focus on long-term improvement.
“This Pakistan team seemed more like a franchise cricket team to me. Whenever the coach interferes in picking the team, this is exactly what happens. Don’t call it Pakistan’s team. Call it Mike Hesson’s team.”
“Chairman, surgery is needed. Bring in good people. Keep good advisors. Your cricket won’t improve in a year. Bring in people who have good service records, who understand cricket, and who can take your cricket forward at the junior level, step by step. If your system gets strong, cricket will get better — otherwise, it won’t.”
Also read: Irfan Pathan enjoys death of Pakistan cricket; Mohsin Naqvi shamed after T20 World Cup exit