Usman Khan Aims for World Cup Glory Guided by Coach Mike Hesson

Pakistan is preparing strongly for the 2026 T20 World Cup, as their coach Mike Hesson believes the team has all the talent to lift the trophy. The green shirts also performed well in the last two home series, which gave them more motivation to do well in the upcoming tournament.

The rising wicketkeeper batter of Pakistan, Usman Khan, also believes that his team is preparing well for the T20 World Cup under the guidance of head coach Mike Hesson. He said the team will play against Sri Lanka and Australia before the World Cup, which will give them a good chance to deliver a strong performance in the main event.

"Our coach Mike Hesson has prepared us quite well ahead of the World Cup. We will play Sri Lanka and Australia in the coming month to prepare for the World Cup. We want to do well in Sri Lanka. We have a great combination in the team, so we have a good chance to win the World Cup." said Pakistan wicketkeeper batter, Usman Khan.

Usman is heading to Sri Lanka for the first time, as he has never toured the country before. He is therefore excited to perform strongly in Sri Lanka, as the T20 World Cup matches will be also played there.

"I am heading to Sri Lanka for the first time. We will be playing in Dambulla. It will be a good opportunity to understand their wickets ahead of the World Cup in Sri Lanka.” said Usman Khan.

“We played in similar surfaces in the last tri-series. I am preparing myself for that type of wicket, and how to handle fast bowling. We want to win the series in Sri Lanka.” added Usman Khan.

He then explained how playing the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) will help him to improve his T20 game. He said BPL will help him to understand different pitch conditions in Bangladesh that often becomes tricky for batters.

"Playing cricket in Bangladesh is certainly going to help me, especially with the different types of conditions. The Sylhet and Chittagong wickets are fantastic, but the wickets in Dhaka are often up and down for the first few overs." said Usman Khan.

Key Reasons Behind Regular Participation in the BPL

The Pakistan wicketkeeper batter then explained his reasons for playing in the BPL consistently. He said the league is highly competitive, and the crowds in Bangladesh are very enthusiastic. All these factors motivate him to feature in the league every year.

"I have been playing BPL for the last few seasons. The team management has been quite supportive. The crowds are always good. I know the players here. With so much support, it gives you more confidence to do well." said Usman Khan.

The recent domestic performances of Usman Khan have been very encouraging. He said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) closely monitors performances across different tournaments, so he tries to give his best in every match to remain in contention for national team selection.

"The PCB takes note of performances in the BPL, PSL and domestic tournaments. I have come here having played the domestic competitions in Pakistan. I played in two tournaments, including the President's Cup, where I played six matches.” said Usman Khan.

“It has held me in good stead for the national call-up. I have given a lot of time to fitness and my wicketkeeping. I have been regularly playing domestic cricket too." added Usman Khan.

He then talked about his evolution as a T20 batter. Having played plenty of cricket alongside Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and other Pakistan superstars, Usman Khan tries to pick up their batting strategies to score big at the international level.

"I have played a lot of cricket under [Mohammad] Rizwan bhai, Saifi bhai [Sarfaraz Ahmed] and Babar [Azam] bhai. They are known to build their innings. After that, they make it hard for bowlers to get them out, and it helps them to take the innings deep.” said Usman Khan.

“I have tried to emulate that concept at all levels. I want to build an innings so that I don't get out around the halfway point of [an] innings. I want to finish matches at every level. I want to go back to the dressing room after winning the game." added Usman Khan.