Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Rashid Latif has found himself at the centre of controversy after making pointed remarks about interim Test head coach Mike Hesson. While Latif stopped short of directly calling Hesson an ‘Indian agent,’ his comments about foreign coaches with IPL backgrounds were widely interpreted as a veiled reference to the New Zealand coach.
Rashid Latif raises questions over Mike Hesson’s loyalty
During a discussion with host Dr. Nauman Niaz, Latif stressed that loyalty should be an important consideration when appointing a foreign coach to the Pakistan team. He highlighted former coaches Bob Woolmer and Geoff Lawson as examples of overseas professionals who, in his view, showed genuine commitment to the country’s cricket setup.
“Mike Hesson, for me, security concerns are a different thing, but the loyalty factor is very important for a foreigner coach,” Latif said during the programme.
He then praised Woolmer for his commitment to Pakistan cricket before turning his attention to Lawson.
“When I talk about Bob Woolmer, I know he was loyal. He had such loyalty. Then if I talk about Geoff Lawson as a person, as a player, he was professional. He stayed in Lahore. He had loyalty,” he added.
Latif subsequently questioned whether coaches who have previously worked extensively in the IPL could face doubts over their commitment to Pakistan.
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Latif indirectly calls Hesson Indian agent
Without initially naming Hesson, Latif referred to foreign coaches who had worked in the IPL before taking up responsibilities with Pakistan.
“All the others who have come, please help me remember; all of them were foreigners who became Pakistani coaches. They all did their work with heart. I am not putting the blame on anyone, but the coach who has come after doing IPL, there will always be doubt about him,” Latif stated.
He then made the remark that sparked the biggest reaction: “This is how agents are being made.”
The comments were particularly significant because Hesson has previously held a prominent role in the IPL, including serving as head coach of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). His association with Indian cricket therefore appeared to be the obvious reference point for viewers, despite Latif not explicitly naming India or describing Hesson as an ‘Indian agent’ himself.
The discussion became even more uncomfortable when Niaz explicitly mentioned Hesson. Latif quickly responded by distancing himself from a direct accusation, saying, “I didn’t name anyone.”
He also indicated that he was simply brainstorming rather than making a claim backed by concrete evidence. Nevertheless, his comments had already raised questions about whether Hesson’s previous work in Indian cricket should have any bearing on his role with Pakistan.
Here’s the video:
This is a former Pakistani test cricketer (Rashid Latif) calling Mike Hesson an Indian Agent indirectly via an unintelligent word salad. He is such a coward that he uses Dr Nauman Niaz to wiggle out by saying we have no evidence, we’re just thinking out loud while he spews his… pic.twitter.com/1X2pGqjSjY
— कुशल मेहरा (@kushal_mehra) September 10, 2026
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