In T20 rankings, he’s at number 30, yet in the coach’s eyes, Nawaz is the best

Just before the Asia Cup, as Pakistan’s preparations were reaching the final stages, spinner Mohammad Nawaz came into the spotlight. He has been in excellent form, taking a hat-trick and finishing with 5 wickets against Afghanistan in the final of the Tri Nation Series. In his last 11 international T20 matches, he has claimed 20 wickets.

Yet the question remains: is Nawaz truly the best spinner in the world? Pakistan coach Mike Hesson, however, didn’t hesitate to say, “We have Mohammad Nawaz, who is currently the best spin bowler in the world. Since returning to the squad six months ago, he has maintained this level. We also have Abrar and Sufiyan. Asim Iqbal is now among the top 10 all-rounders in the world.”

On the day before Pakistan’s Asia Cup match against Oman, while discussing the pitch at the Dubai International Stadium during a press conference, Hesson showered praise on Nawaz. According to him, “Compared to Sharjah, there is more grass on this wicket. The match will be played where India played against the UAE. I don’t think this pitch will turn as much as Sharjah. Even in the India vs UAE match, when Kuldeep was bowling, there wasn’t much turn.”

However, reality shows that in the latest ICC T20 bowler rankings, Nawaz is at number 30. Among Pakistan spinners, the highest-ranked is Sufiyan Muqeem at 15th place.

During the press conference, the discussion again returned to Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. The exclusion of these players from the Asia Cup squad had already drawn criticism for the coach. Hesson explained, “It’s very important to be honest in player assessments. Issues need to be viewed without any agenda. Things must be seen impartially. I didn’t point out anyone’s weaknesses. What I referred to was how modern cricket is played and the type of strike rate required in good conditions. Players expect honesty from coaches. That is the responsibility of a coach.”