Pakistan's head coach Mike Hesson, center, raises a hand while speaking to the team. (AP Photo)

Mike Hesson has opened the door to a permanent role as Pakistan’s Test coach after stepping in for the third Test in the team’s 0-3 series whitewash against England, while Shaheen Shah Afridi has made his own intentions clear by declaring that red-ball cricket remains his “first priority”.Hesson, who was handed interim charge of Pakistan’s Test side after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) removed Sarfaraz Ahmed following the defeat at Lord’s, admitted he would be interested in continuing with the red-ball setup.“I’d be open to it, for sure,” Hesson said at the post-match press conference.The New Zealander had initially made it clear that his Test coaching assignment was temporary. But after Pakistan’s eight-wicket defeat at Edgbaston completed England’s 3-0 series sweep, Hesson suggested he sees enough potential in the squad to consider taking on the responsibility permanently.

Hesson sees talent in Pakistan's Test setup

Hesson said Pakistan have enough ability within their Test system to make progress, although he acknowledged that rebuilding the side would require time and direction.“I love Test cricket, and there’s enough talent around the system in Pakistan that if we provide some good direction, we can make some strides going forward. It’s not going to happen in a game or two, but there’s some skill there I’d certainly be considering looking after,” he said.However, Hesson stressed that any decision on his future would involve the PCB and selectors. His immediate focus remains Pakistan’s white-ball commitments, particularly the Asian Games.“I haven’t even contemplated [a job offer] at this stage. I’ve got the Asian Games coming a week after I get back. That’s my main focus in terms of the white ball. By the time that arrives, I’m sure we’ll have some discussions about the Test team going forward. That’s a discussion I’ll have with the selectors,” he said.Pakistan's Test campaign ended on a disappointing note despite a spirited second-innings fightback.

Afridi makes red-ball priority clear

As Pakistan look to rebuild their Test side, Afridi’s return to first-class cricket could provide a significant boost. The left-arm pacer featured in the President’s Trophy on Saturday, making his first competitive domestic red-ball appearance since 2019.“Red-ball cricket is always my first priority,” Afridi said, as per the ICC website.“I’ve always loved it. I didn’t get enough time to play because of international cricket, but I haven’t been playing much cricket for the last couple of months. So it’s an opportunity to play red-ball cricket,” he added.Afridi, who has 126 wickets in 34 Tests, was left out of Pakistan’s squads for the West Indies and England tours. He said returning to longer-format cricket would help sharpen his rhythm and confidence.“I learned a lot from my elder brother Riaz Afridi, because he’s played a lot of first-class cricket,” he said. “In the longer format, the longer you spend time on the ground (the better it is) for your confidence, and for your line and length to get fine-tuned.”

Shaheen Afridi

‘When you’re free, you should play domestic cricket’

Afridi also acknowledged the difficulty of switching between formats after spending much of his career on an intense international schedule.“I’ve not played red-ball cricket for the last few months. Before that, I’d been playing red-ball cricket continuously,” he said.“If you play international cricket, then coming back to domestic cricket can be challenging. Because you’ve been playing international cricket constantly in all three formats, it keeps you busy. When you’re free, you should play domestic cricket.”The pacer said he would not alter his approach with the ball in first-class cricket.“I’ll try to bowl the same way in first-class cricket as I’ve bowled in Test cricket,” Afridi said.