*Official* - Pakistan in New Zealand 2010/2011

[straw man]

Franklin to Ahmed Shehzad, FOUR, Crashed! Gentle full delivery floated outside off and he leans across to square drive it through cover point.

That sounds like the Franklin bowling we know and love!

 

[Prince EWS]

This is genuine tripe from Franklin. He wasn't even a good one day bowler when he was actually a bowler; he's really a part-timer at best in ODIs now IMO.

 

[Howe_zat]

Since when was Franklin a better opening ODI bowler than Bennet and Oram anyway?

Southee getting a bit of shape in his second over anyway. Hafeez looking pretty loose.

 

[Prince EWS]

Since when was Franklin a better opening ODI bowler than Bennet and Oram anyway?

Southee getting a bit of shape in his second over anyway. Hafeez looking pretty loose.

Well the theory with Franklin is that he's a swing bowler so if he's going to be effective at all it'll with the new rock. So essentially, the fifth bowler opens up. He shouldn't be any more than a sixth bowler in ODIs these days though IMO.

 

[straw man]

Quite a contrast between how these two openers (batsmen) are going so far.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Franklin's bowling is woeful. He's down around 72-74mph. What happened to him? He was never exactly Shoaib Ahktar, but even "medium" is flattering now.

 

[Prince EWS]

Franklin's bowling is woeful. He's down around 72-74mph. What happened to him? He was never exactly Shoaib Ahktar, but even "medium" is flattering now.

He had a serious injury and worked hard on his batting when he was out with it. His batting improved massively but he's never been anything like the same bowler. He still does occasionally bowls spells that touch the mid 130s but he's basically a batsman these days - he can still swing the ball a long way but he's mid 120s so it's non-threatening at this level. It's depressing, because I was always a massive fan of his bowling (in Tests anyway; he's always been poo in one day cricket). I keep holding out hope that he'll suddenly just find it again but it's becoming more and more unlikely with every outing.

 

[Howe_zat]

Pakistan reached 31 in the last ODI after 68 balls and 3 wickets down. So, a marginally better start this time.

Rain comes back. Ah well, looks like I'm off to bed.

 

[Hurricane]

Franklin's bowling is woeful. He's down around 72-74mph. What happened to him? He was never exactly Shoaib Ahktar, but even "medium" is flattering now.

He doesn't seem to brace on his front leg at the point of delivery any more. Instead he sort of "gives" with the front half of his body.

Still has a nice run up though.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

Hafeez is lost at sea as usual, but Ahmad Shezad looks like a good prospect.

Will New Zealand field Franklin at the world cup, with his pace he is going to get smashed by Sehwag & Co.

 

[centurymaker]

Queenstown

 

[Agent Nationaux]

BTW @ Hurricane, you mentioned in a previous post that players should see off the new ball by blocking or leaving it. I can understand that reasoning for tests but what about ODI's or T20's

 

[cricpk]

Hafeez is lost at sea as usual, but Ahmad Shezad looks like a good prospect.

Will New Zealand field Franklin at the world cup, with his pace he is going to get smashed by Sehwag & Co.

Yeah
I hope he scores 70-80 runs today

 

[centurymaker]

don't think there'll be any more play.

 

[Polo23]

God it's horrible to watch James Franklin bowl. He used to swing it at a lively enough pace, get good bounce and generally at least look like he was trying to bowl pretty quickly. Now he just lobs down pies that don't swing at 120km/h.

Why are we opening the bowling with him again? Bennett should be opening ffs.

 

[straw man]

Hafeez is lost at sea as usual, but Ahmad Shezad looks like a good prospect.

Will New Zealand field Franklin at the world cup, with his pace he is going to get smashed by Sehwag & Co.

Quite likely, but as a batsman - I can't see him bowling more than 2 or 3 overs most matches.

 

[straw man]

God it's horrible to watch James Franklin bowl. He used to swing it at a lively enough pace, get good bounce and generally at least look like he was trying to bowl pretty quickly. Now he just lobs down pies that don't swing at 120km/h.

Why are we opening the bowling with him again? Bennett should be opening ffs.

Meh, pre World Cup experiment.

Conclusion: Franklin is not a good ODI bowler, even when you give him the new ball.

I'll be annoyed if he can't at least generate some swing if he gets a few overs in test matches. I don't mind if, as fifth bowler, he lacks control but bowls the odd wicket-taking delivery. But if he's only capable of 120kmph non-swinging pies then that greatly decreases the appeal of having him in the test side.

 

[straw man]

Also, I don't mind Bennett as a first-change bowler. He should certainly be able to get some tips about that role from Alan Donald.

 

[Bahnz]

Meh, pre World Cup experiment.

Conclusion: Franklin is not a good ODI bowler, even when you give him the new ball.

I'll be annoyed if he can't at least generate some swing if he gets a few overs in test matches. I don't mind if, as fifth bowler, he lacks control but bowls the odd wicket-taking delivery. But if he's only capable of 120kmph non-swinging pies then that greatly decreases the appeal of having him in the test side.

The sad truth is that Ryder probably swings the ball more than Franklin does these days.

 

[Prince EWS]

The sad truth is that Ryder probably swings the ball more than Franklin does these days.

The funny thing is, though, he keeps taking wickets in county cricket and in the Plunket Shield. He took seven for nothing in a CC game last season. I highly doubt he's doing that bowling 120km/hr long hops and half-volleys that don't move off the straight. He must be swinging it at that level.