Mike Hesson ‘Open’ To Taking On Pakistan Test Head Coach Role Amid England Series

“I’ll be open to it, for sure.” Four words, delivered casually on the eve of a decisive Test, have opened the most intriguing coaching storyline of Pakistan’s season. Mike Hesson, the New Zealander who has run Pakistan’s white-ball setup since May 2025, has confirmed he would consider extending his remit to the red-ball job as well.

The admission, reported on September 12, 2026, lands at a delicate moment. Pakistan are mid-series against England, with the third Test at Edgbaston providing the backdrop, and the Test head coach position has been in flux for months. What began as a temporary arrangement now looks increasingly like a permanent question the PCB must answer.

Mike Hesson’s Path From White-Ball Boss To Test Contender

Here’s the thing: this has been brewing quietly. The PCB announced Hesson’s appointment as white-ball head coach on May 13, 2025, with a start date of May 26, 2025. Since then, our earlier coverage of Mike Hesson has tracked a coach comfortable defending his methods under scrutiny.

By September 4, a separate report described him as “interim” in the Test setup — a sign the board had already leaned on him to steady the red-ball ship. The role itself was previously held by Sarfraz Ahmed, as Sarfaraz Ahmed Appointed As Test head coach in a move our site covered at the time. A the outlet team page dated June 18, 2026, still listed Sarfraz as Test head coach and Hesson as white-ball head coach, underlining how recently the picture shifted.

What The England Series Context Means For Pakistan

Worth noting: the timing is no accident. Speaking while Pakistan’s Test series against England unfolds, Hesson framed his willingness in the broadest terms. “I love Test cricket,” he said, adding that there is “enough talent around the system in Pakistan” to make progress with “good direction.” That is both an endorsement of the playing pool and a gentle challenge to the administration above it. For more detail, see BBC Sport.

There is also an England subplot. A related report noted that Hesson told his agent he had been approached about an England coaching discussion earlier in 2026. A coach courted by one Test nation while holding a second nation’s white-ball job is a coach with leverage — and Pakistan’s board knows it. Our reporting on Pakistan Hesson developments has charted how quickly his portfolio has expanded.

The Decision Facing The PCB

The board’s calculus is straightforward. Splitting the roles again risks another transition, while combining them gives one man control of all three formats — a model several full-member nations have moved away from. Hesson’s record across white-ball tournaments, including the pitch debates we examined around Mike Hesson and surface management, suggests a coach with firm ideas about conditions.

The counterargument is workload. A Test series against England stretches a coaching staff thin even without T20I and ODI planning running in parallel. Whether Hesson would formally hold both titles, or simply oversee the Test setup through this transition, remains unclear. For now, the ball is in the PCB’s court. A coach has said yes in principle; the structure, the title and the timeline are theirs to define. The next Pakistan Test head coach may already be in the dressing room — he just needs the contract to prove it.

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FAQs

What did Mike Hesson say about the Pakistan Test head coach role?

He said he would be “open” to taking the role “for sure,” and added that he loves Test cricket, in comments reported on September 12, 2026.

What is Mike Hesson’s current role with Pakistan?

He is Pakistan’s white-ball head coach, a position he took up on May 26, 2025, and he has more recently been involved in the Test setup on an interim basis.

Who held the Pakistan Test head coach role before Hesson’s involvement?

Sarfaraz Ahmed held the Test head coach position before Hesson’s temporary involvement in the red-ball setup.

Why is the timing significant?

The comments came while Pakistan are playing a Test series against England, with the third Test at Edgbaston, and after Hesson disclosed an earlier approach regarding an England coaching discussion.