Overview

• Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson made the remark at a pre-tournament press conference in Dubai before Pakistan’s opener against Oman, with the India fixture set for Sunday.
• Hesson emphasized Pakistan’s depth by saying the team has five spin options, highlighting Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem and noting Salman Ali Agha’s bowling availability alongside a full pace unit.
• Nawaz enters the tournament in strong form with a five-wicket haul in the Sharjah tri-series final against Afghanistan and 20 wickets in 11 T20Is since his July recall, according to India Today.
• The endorsement contrasts with ICC T20I rankings that list Nawaz at No. 30, with Pakistan’s Sufiyan Muqeem at No. 15 and India’s Varun Chakravarthy among the top three.
• Several outlets framed Hesson’s praise as early mind games, set against Pakistan’s reworked, spin-heavy squad that has omitted senior names including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah and Shadab Khan.