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KEY TAKEAWAYS: - Former Pakistan player Rashid Latif questioned Mike Hesson's loyalty. - Latif cited Hesson's IPL and RCB background. - Latif contrasted Hesson with past foreign coaches he considers to have shown loyalty. Rashid Latif once again gives his conspiracy theories regarding the PCB Rashid Latif has never been shy about targeting Mike Hesson, having previously accused the coach of engineering Mohammad Rizwan's removal as ODI captain over alleged religious and political motives. His latest intervention takes a different, more insinuating shape, questioning the New Zealander's loyalty on the basis of his IPL connections. The comments arrive at a chaotic moment for Pakistan cricket, with Hesson having stepped into interim charge of the Test side following the mid-tour sacking of Sarfaraz Ahmed and the removal of seven players during the England series. Latif's remarks have drawn sharp criticism from commentators who see them as something closer to a coded accusation than a genuine cricketing critique. MORE: 'Learn before it’s too late': Yousuf describes Pakistan's batting collapse in one sentence What Rashid Latif said about Mike Hesson's loyalty Speaking at length, Latif built his argument around a list of past foreign coaches he believes served Pakistan with genuine commitment, using them as a contrast to what he sees as a lingering doubt over Hesson. "Mike Hesson, for me, security concerns are a different thing, but the loyalty factor is very important for a foreigner coach. 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," Latif said. He turned to Hesson specifically, framing his scepticism around the coach's background in the IPL. "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," he said. Latif went further still, suggesting foreign coaches with IPL ties should face scrutiny over potential outside influence, without offering any specific evidence for the claim. 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 "Loyalty factor is very important, and it remains doubtful. I am not saying someone is not loyal; he might be, of course he might, but it's better if these things are checked. Check the history. The connection would be there," he said. He then went on to mention how someone who wants to damage Pakistani cricket from inside might use such coaches. "So the damage that we couldn't do, maybe someone will who can damage you, no matter which coach comes from abroad," he said. "But one who is directly linked with IPL, from people there, who might want to use him – that's how agents are formed." MORE: Akram speaks of deeper issues as Pakistan stares at series whitewash in England Why Latif's comments has been met with strong pushback The reaction to Latif's comments was swift and unsparing, with political commentator Kusha Mehra accusing him of dressing up a serious allegation in deniable language. "This is a former Pakistani Test cricketer 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 nonsense and all sorts of idiocy," Mehra wrote. Mehra continued, "This is why Pakistan cricket is a shithole, because their cricketers have such a mindset. And this man is supposedly one of the reasonable ones." It is worth stressing that Latif's own comments never used the words Mehra attributes to him, and Latif has not publicly named India in connection with his claims. No evidence has been presented linking Hesson to any outside interest, and the coach's IPL experience, largely as a franchise consultant and analyst rather than a head coaching role, is a matter of public record rather than any hidden association. MORE: Boycott explains Root's LBW woes as England captain gets out cheaply against Razaullah Why Latif wants Pakistan to look inward for its next coach Beyond the specific allegations against Hesson, the broader thrust of Latif's argument is a familiar one in Pakistan cricket circles: that the country should prioritise homegrown coaching talent over foreign appointments whose commitment can never be fully verified. It is a position with some logic to it in principle, given how frequently Pakistan's foreign coaching appointments have ended in acrimony or mid-tenure exits. But building that case around unproven insinuations of hidden loyalties, rather than a straightforward argument about developing domestic coaches, is precisely what has drawn the backlash. Latif has a documented history of pairing legitimate grievances about PCB decision-making with conspiratorial framing, and this latest episode follows that pattern closely enough that even sympathetic observers within Pakistan's own cricket media have called it out. For all the latest cricket news, opinion, and commentary and to share your voice, head to our Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) pages.