Coach Hesson defends Pak batters against spin doubts.
Pakistan Head Coach Mike Hesson has dismissed the notion that his men can't read spinners from the hand and countered this perception saying that one doesn't need to in order to be successful.
'I have heard a number of people say we are not picking the ball from the hand. And I've answered that question before.
'For example, when Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lankan leg-spinner) bowls, we know that he's a googly bowler. And it really has nothing to do with picking the ball from the hand. It's actually being able to play it off the pitch or being able to get your body into a good position,' Hesson said at the post match press conference on Thursday
Hesson believes that not taking good decisions while facing the spinners has been a problem.
'We've been a little bit tentative. These pitches are also pretty challenging as every side has found out after the Powerplay. It's really difficult.'
In the Group match between India and Pakistan on September 14, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav had their opponents struggling, with wickets falling in quick succession.
Pakistan batters' inability to read the spinners saw them tottering at 49 for 4 after 10 overs, thanks to Axar's twin strikes. Thereafter, Kuldeep joined the party and took two wickets to put Pakistan on the backfoot.
'I don't think there was any issue in picking spinners, it's what you do with it when you pick it,' Hesson said after that match.
'Axar's - there's no mystery there. He slides the ball, occasionally turns one. It's more the accuracy and pressure that they build up, when you build up a lot of dots, sometimes your mind plays tricks and you play big shots. It's certainly not that they can't pick it, the fact is we struggled to rotate strike to take pressure off ourselves.'
Hesson will hope that his batters learn quickly with the final just a couple of days away.
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