***Official*** Pakistan and England in UAE

[Black_Warrior]

Indian report on Pakistan win :
IndiaTv Report on Victory of Pakistan against England in Dubai 2012 - YouTube

Hindi, sorry English people.. but this is beyond hilarious.. Indian media pwning their own players.

I couldn't stop laughing because of the tone and language but this is just despicable reporting

 

[flibbertyjibber]

So Flower says England were undercooked, hope that is the case. Can't see it myself, we were just totally outplayed. Whatever it was they need to improve 100% to even compete in the last 2 matches never mind to win and draw level in the series.

 

[ganeshran]

Indian report on Pakistan win :
IndiaTv Report on Victory of Pakistan against England in Dubai 2012 - YouTube

Hindi, sorry English people.. but this is beyond hilarious.. Indian media pwning their own players.

India TV is a crappy channel

 

[salman85]

This has nothing to do with exciting or not exciting. I don't care about that either.
My issue is, when you go into the match with the mindset of drawing the game, you are extremely negative and that can cost you the match. These are not my words but the words of the great man in my avatar. When you play negative cricket, instead of exerting pressure on the opposition, you allow them to exert pressure on you because you are not even trying to win.

Sportsmen should be extremely greedy and very hard to satisfy. Misbah or any captain for that matter should never be satisfied with their performance. Misbah's approach should now be to win the next test match and make it 2-0. If they can achieve that, then the goal should be to win the next one and make it a whitewash. This is sports, you're meant to crush you opponent, not sit back and allow them to get away with a draw. Plus winning more test matches would ultimately help Pakistan's rankings and I don't know about you but I certainly am not happy with number 5. Look at the Australians..Warner who has barely played 5 test matches talks about wanting to be the number 1 team in the world...the first thing Clarke said after winning the series is the goal to be the number 1 team in the world. That is why you see the intensity in their performances.. I cannot understand the concept of winning 1 game and sitting on the laurels for the next 2. You don't become the number 1 team by drawing games, you become number 1 by winning games.
I cannot understand how a team can settle for anything less than the best..how can fans settle for anything less than the best..And this is what effected me the most about the spot fixing fiasco..it wasn't that they took bribes, or got caught, or were foolish, or got banned, or would never be able to play again. It was the fact that they did not care about winning a test match, about being the best. I just cannot understand that kind of thinking.

You don't become the number 1 team by drawing games, you become number 1 by winning games.

If you're trying to tell me that Pakistan's performances over the last one year have not been intense,then you've got another thing coming.The only difference this time around is that the side has shifted to discipline over flamboyance.When a team is on the receiving end of arguably the lowest point to ever hit cricket,it takes time to rebuild.Expecting the team to bomb the opposition Australia-style at this point in time is ridiculous.Do you know what goes on during the team meetings?No you don't.You're just going by what Warner and Clarke say to the media.Just because Misbah is not as excitable,or brash,certainly does not mean that he doesn't aspire to be the best in the world.And using statements made to the media to justify how certain teams target being the best and others don't,is laughable.

Also, victory against the no.1 test team in the world,regardless of how it is achieved,is a massive.For a side that is slowly improving by every passing series,the important thing is winning.Not how you win.Or the margin of victory.

 

[marc71178]

It'll be interesting to see if England can come back from what was a complete thrashing.

The thing that made the No.1 Australian team of the 90s and early 2000s a truly great team was their ability to fight back when they were down. The number of times that the opposition had them on the ropes and they would always find some way of turning that situation around. Someone would always stand up.

Contrast that with the performance of the two recent No.1 teams, India and England. Nobody has stood up and fought their way out of trouble.

Sorry, are you saying that this English team hasn't come back from beatings and bad positions?

Suggest you have a look at the results then rethink that argument.

 

[Woodster]

So Flower says England were undercooked, hope that is the case. Can't see it myself, we were just totally outplayed. Whatever it was they need to improve 100% to even compete in the last 2 matches never mind to win and draw level in the series.

Yes he's suggested we were under-cooked, yet the players needed the break from competition physically and mentally so we can't have it all ways, were Flower's words. Listening to that interview he did with BBC, I can't help but be impressed with how he comes across. He also hinted that a third first-class warm-up match would have been beneficial as they were worrying signs in terms of the batting in those two warm-up games.

Whatever happened to our batsmen in that opening Test, let's hope some work with 'Merlin' can put that right without disregarding the pacemen.

 

[GIMH]

No play today? Is it raining?

Pretty heavily tbh

 

[honestbharani]

It'll be interesting to see if England can come back from what was a complete thrashing.

The thing that made the No.1 Australian team of the 90s and early 2000s a truly great team was their ability to fight back when they were down. The number of times that the opposition had them on the ropes and they would always find some way of turning that situation around. Someone would always stand up.

Contrast that with the performance of the two recent No.1 teams, India and England. Nobody has stood up and fought their way out of trouble.

The difference between an ATG team and just good teams who are better than the competition at that point, tbh.

 

[Black_Warrior]

If you're trying to tell me that Pakistan's performances over the last one year have not been intense,then you've got another thing coming.The only difference this time around is that the side has shifted to discipline over flamboyance.When a team is on the receiving end of arguably the lowest point to ever hit cricket,it takes time to rebuild.Expecting the team to bomb the opposition Australia-style at this point in time is ridiculous.Do you know what goes on during the team meetings?No you don't.You're just going by what Warner and Clarke say to the media.Just because Misbah is not as excitable,or brash,certainly does not mean that he doesn't aspire to be the best in the world.And using statements made to the media to justify how certain teams target being the best and others don't,is laughable.

No I am basing it on their performances. Based on the performances, there are two test matches in the last 1 year that Pakistan did not try hard enough to win because they had the series won. That is lack of intensity and drive. I don't need to know what they talk about in the dressing room. I can see it on the field. And because I have seen them do it in the recent past, I brought it up because I hope they don't do it again.

Also, victory against the no.1 test team in the world,regardless of how it is achieved,is a massive.For a side that is slowly improving by every passing series,the important thing is winning.Not how you win.Or the margin of victory.

When did I talk about the margin? All I said was Pakistan should aim to win the next two test matches rather than draw them just because they are 1-0 up.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

When did I talk about the margin? All I said was Pakistan should aim to win the next two test matches rather than draw them just because they are 1-0 up.

AWTA - Playing not to lose is going to be a dangerous gameplan. Only takes one bad session doing that and all of a sudden it may be 1-1 with a game to play.

 

[Black_Warrior]

AWTA - Playing not to lose is going to be a dangerous gameplan. Only takes one bad session doing that and all of a sudden it may be 1-1 with a game to play.

Ah finally. That is what I have been saying all along. Especially when you are up against the best team in the world..if they sense that you are too scared to lose, they will crush you.

 

[slowfinger]

lol and Fusion called me overconfident, fair enough England is no 1 test team but they are quite poor in Asian conditions. As per a stat i read since 2001 England played 22 tests in Asia and won 5 . 4 of those 5 wins were against Bangladesh.....

That is quite a generous bet by Furball....

How can you be worseon roads than in swinging conditions :/

 

[Agent Nationaux]

I disagree with Black Warrior. Why do you think Misbah doesn't want to finish the series with a 3-0 win. With the way Pakistan has played it's cricket in the last year and the way they went in to this series, their aim was always to win all 3 tests. I don't know where you go the idea that they want to draw the next two matches. They have appreciated England as tough opponents, but never have they expressed the desire not to win.

The only situation in which Pakistan have gone for the draw under Misbah has been when they needed too many runs on the last day.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Can't be arsed trying to find the IPL 2012 thread, if there is one, so I'm just going to say it here that if nobody bids on Bopara (only a total moron would bid on him) for the IPL it will make me laugh for quite a long time.

 

[wpdavid]

When did I talk about the margin? All I said was Pakistan should aim to win the next two test matches rather than draw them just because they are 1-0 up.

Absolutely. You have to do what your opponents least want you to do. England would absolutely love some breathing space to try and regroup, play their natural game, and find their way back into the series. However, if Pak go for the jugular now they'll win 2-0 or 3-0.

 

[Uppercut]

Playing for the draw from day one is just silly and no one's going to actually do it. If they've got a tight run chase on the final day then of course they should take into account that they're 1-0 up in the series. But imo captains tend to be ridiculously conservative in those situations regardless of the series scoreline.

 

[Jacknife]

So Flower says England were undercooked, hope that is the case. Can't see it myself, we were just totally outplayed. Whatever it was they need to improve 100% to even compete in the last 2 matches never mind to win and draw level in the series.

I said it when they announced the break, that it wouldn't turn out to be the best idea, especially coming to play in alien conditions. Imo our batsmen after 5 months off or so, would need more than 2 3 day games to get back to where they were, they should have had another warm up game before at least, or ideally started playing again before Christmas.
I mean just watching the game even taking into account how well Ajmal and Pakistan bowled, some of the shots played were frankly embarrassing and had nothing to do with the surface at all.

 

[Jacknife]

Yes he's suggested we were under-cooked, yet the players needed the break from competition physically and mentally so we can't have it all ways, were Flower's words. Listening to that interview he did with BBC, I can't help but be impressed with how he comes across. He also hinted that a third first-class warm-up match would have been beneficial as they were worrying signs in terms of the batting in those two warm-up games.

Whatever happened to our batsmen in that opening Test, let's hope some work with 'Merlin' can put that right without disregarding the pacemen.

Didn't see your post when I posted above and like I said above a third game should have been a given, like you said there were warning signs in the first two warm ups. Can't do nothing about it now, so they'll have to knuckle down and show what they're made of and take the fight to Pakistan, which will be very difficult but it's what everyone wanted to see is for this team to get tested, well there going to get it and much more, lets see how they respond.

 

[Cricketismylife]

Ajmal's first innings performance has to be one of the best, if not the best in recent memory, even though there have lots of good performances in the last few months, this track was extremely flat and had nothing in it. Ajmal turned a 500 first innings wicket in to a 100-7 innings.

Pakistan also didnt bat that well and despite their big victory, their batting is a worry imo; only Younis and Misbah have proven track records and with the quality of the England bowlers, they will have to be careful to avoid a collapse even though the conditions are very batsman friendly. I think Rehman is going to have an important role at number 8 with the bat; contributions down the order are needed as most of this batting line up are not used to making big scores against this kind of attack.

 

[BeeGee]

Sorry, are you saying that this English team hasn't come back from beatings and bad positions?

Suggest you have a look at the results then rethink that argument.

Then why was no fight shown in that second innings? They rolled over even more meekly in the second innings than they did in the first.

I want to see fight. I want to see batsmen say "you're never getting my wicket".

Anyhoo, the second Test will show England's quality.