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

[Faisal1985]

Boycott!

 

[Agent Nationaux]

So who got Boycott's house.

 

[KungFu_Kallis]

They'll get whitewashed here in the summer, no doubt about it. Next time we go there should be interesting though, not sure when it is mind.

Um no.

 

[KungFu_Kallis]

Think the South Africans (the ones playing for SA) are finally going to stop being bridesmaides and have a decent run at the #1 spot.

The thing is while they seldom/never dominate a side across a series, often narrowly winning or drawing series, they very seldom lose series (only 1 in the last 5+ years vs Oz in SA). Their record is easily the best in the subcontinent in that time among non-subcontinental sides - beating Pakistan (in Pakistan, and drawing with them in the middle east) and drawing twice with India.

They are arguably the best all round team for all conditions at present. If they are able to hone their attacking instincts and ruthlessness a bit more they may be able to make that next step up to the top. Either way, the Eng v SA series in a few months is likely to be the real deal, in determining who will be the top dog for the next year or more.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Hmm.

Short of recommending that the batsmen are tarred and feathered I can't how the gentlemen (& ladies) of the fourth estate can overreact. 'Twas all kinds of gash.

Having just watched the dismissals a couple of times on video I'd have to agree. The number of batsmen playing back to turning deliveries was quite surprising. It's always difficult against good spinners on a turning deck, but going back to play them seems to be a bit suicidal.

Given how much I admire Ian Bell, his dismissal gave me a lot of pleasure once again.

 

[KungFu_Kallis]

Having just watched the dismissals a couple of times on video I'd have to agree. The number of batsmen playing back to turning deliveries was quite surprising. It's always difficult against good spinners on a turning deck, but going back to play them seems to be a bit suicidal.

Given how much I admire Ian Bell, his dismissal gave me a lot of pleasure once again.

poor belly.. just looks so out of his depth

 

[Son Of Coco]

Piss off. He's abysmal. You don't fix anything by picking that sad sack. Call up all the bowlers and pick a team full of them with Prior and tell all the batsmen to **** off home.

And was it bollocks extremely difficult. They were pathetic. If I could take back all my exaggerations in my thousands of posts just to emphasise just how epically ****house England's batting was I would. There aren't enough words in my Scrabble dictionaries to describe these useless tossers. There aren't enough bleeped out words in Gordon Ramsay's TV career to fully ram home just what a complete sack of **** the batting has been in these two Tests, but they managed to cap it off with some even more 'special' today. Don't give them any excuses, they don't deserve them. They've got all the resources, backroom staff and so on and they turn up and play like they've never seen a ball spin a few degrees before. It's not even bouncing or going quickly. Disgraceful.

That was an enjoyable read!

 

[Son Of Coco]

A few suggested changes for England, adopting their standard approach to selections in a crisis.

Out: Cook, Trott, Pietesen, Bell, Prior, Swann.

In: Gooch, Gower, Emburey, Cowdrey (RIP), Stewart, Hick.

 

[Prince EWS]

FFS why did I ask Cribb for betting advice on this.

WAC.

Misbah Rehman WAG

To be fair, what I said at the time ("Pakistan's tail is crap and they're just about to get rolled for a lead of < 150") was spot on. I just didn't anticipate England getting rolled for 72...

 

[Jacknife]

The thing is while they seldom/never dominate a side across a series, often narrowly winning or drawing series, they very seldom lose series (only 1 in the last 5+ years vs Oz in SA). Their record is easily the best in the subcontinent in that time among non-subcontinental sides - beating Pakistan (in Pakistan, and drawing with them in the middle east) and drawing twice with India.

They are arguably the best all round team for all conditions at present. If they are able to hone their attacking instincts and ruthlessness a bit more they may be able to make that next step up to the top. Either way, the Eng v SA series in a few months is likely to be the real deal, in determining who will be the top dog for the next year or more.

They very seldom win their home series though, which imo is a must if you're to be considered the best side around. I agree though that the series this summer will be epic, to say the least.

 

[Spark]

Good god. Go and listen to the TMS podcast. When Boycott unloads...

He's basically spot-on though.

Big opportunity for Pakistan if they can get one (or both) of these two soon, then. A high chance that the spinners could run through the middle order like a hot knife through butter.

Claiming this.

 

[TT Boy]

Oh dear. Made worst that it was my man Rehman who did them.

All well and good Morgan going but for Ravi, no way. Keep the Mick. Strauss looks so, so poor. Graeme Smith tours in the summer, so if history is anything to go by he has about 6 months left as captain/player. KP back to awful, average back under 50. Yesterday showed just how important Trott is, can't rely on KP or Bell out there.

Great for Pak. Well deserved.

 

[Black_Warrior]

The thing is while they seldom/never dominate a side across a series, often narrowly winning or drawing series, they very seldom lose series (only 1 in the last 5+ years vs Oz in SA). Their record is easily the best in the subcontinent in that time among non-subcontinental sides - beating Pakistan (in Pakistan, and drawing with them in the middle east) and drawing twice with India.

They are arguably the best all round team for all conditions at present. If they are able to hone their attacking instincts and ruthlessness a bit more they may be able to make that next step up to the top. Either way, the Eng v SA series in a few months is likely to be the real deal, in determining who will be the top dog for the next year or more.

The only reason I back England to beat South Africa at home is because the South African batting line up, with Amla, De Villiers and Kallis, is so susceptible to collapses from time to time. They collapsed against Sri Lanka, then they got bowled out for 80 odd against Australia.. And English bowlers are bloody brilliant in England..

 

[Black_Warrior]

Hope Wahab gets a chance next match...

It will be harsh to drop Junaid. He hardly bowled any overs.

 

[smash84]

I think given the way the series has gone so far I guess Cheema should be back

 

[KungFu_Kallis]

The only reason I back England to beat South Africa at home is because the South African batting line up, with Amla, De Villiers and Kallis, is so susceptible to collapses from time to time. They collapsed against Sri Lanka, then they got bowled out for 80 odd against Australia.. And English bowlers are bloody brilliant in England..

Yeah they are surprisingly flaky every 1 in 3 games or so. But then it looks like England aren't at their most solid at the moment either Maybe SA might have a cunning plan and play 2 spinners in Eng......although not if Robin Peterson is the 2nd one...

 

[Jacknife]

Oh dear. Made worst that it was my man Rehman who did them.

All well and good Morgan going but for Ravi, no way. Keep the Mick. Strauss looks so, so poor. Graeme Smith tours in the summer, so if history is anything to go by he has about 6 months left as captain/player. KP back to awful, average back under 50. Yesterday showed just how important Trott is, can't rely on KP or Bell out there.

Great for Pak. Well deserved.

Are you saying Smith has 6 months left as player Captain or Strauss, I presume it's Strauss, can't see it myself, they won't need to anyway because England will win anyway. I take from the above that you reckon England are gong to lose or Strauss's form will continue.
As for KP and Bell, I said months ago if anyone was going to suffer from the long lay off it would be KP. Bell, a lot has been made of him playing spin but whether you think he's decent against it or not seems besides the point, he has just looked hopeless against anything, seam or spin, whether you put that down to the bowling or form is another thing.
They've both had a couple of very poor test matches, personally I wouldn't try to paint it as anything more than that atm.

 

[Jacknife]

Yeah they are surprisingly flaky every 1 in 3 games or so. But then it looks like England aren't at their most solid at the moment either Maybe SA might have a cunning plan and play 2 spinners in Eng......although not if Robin Peterson is the 2nd one...

I bet England will be glad if they played 2 spinners as well, not quite the same effect in England.

 

[Black_Warrior]

Yeah they are surprisingly flaky every 1 in 3 games or so. But then it looks like England aren't at their most solid at the moment either Maybe SA might have a cunning plan and play 2 spinners in Eng......although not if Robin Peterson is the 2nd one...

Not at home.

 

[Black_Warrior]

The most shocking thing for me was to see how nervous and unsure KP looked even when playing Rehman yesterday.. Hard to believe this was the same bloke who belted Warne and Murali.