*Official* Pakistan v Australia in UAE 2014

[Prince EWS]

Honestly, I don't think Maxwell and Starc coming in is really a bad decision. Probably not what I would've gone with but, depending on the pitch, it's not too bad a call.

The problem I have with it is that I really don't see the point of Marsh if that's what happens. If it's Maxwell and Starc in for Doolan and Sok then they're basically backing Mitch Marsh as a specialist batsman over Doolan. I'm not a Doolan fan, but that's a bit much.

 

[smash84]

Actually getting Maxwell in sounds like a good idea against a team like Pakistan who can easily be put under pressure. I haven't seen Maxwell play tests but if he can score anywhere nearly as freely as he does in LO formats then Aus might just kick the **** out of Pakistan

 

[Gnske]

Thank god, it's about time Glenn Batswell was in the Test team. Time for non stop juicy DLF maximums every over and unplayable spin bowling.

This test is going to be a big show.

 

[dermo]

doolan had three innings on this tour, a ton, a run out and a failure

he deserved another chance imo

 

[adub]

Honestly, I don't think Maxwell and Starc coming in is really a bad decision. Probably not what I would've gone with but, depending on the pitch, it's not too bad a call.

The problem I have with it is that I really don't see the point of Marsh if that's what happens. If it's Maxwell and Starc in for Doolan and Sok then they're basically backing Mitch Marsh as a specialist batsman over Doolan. I'm not a Doolan fan, but that's a bit much.

I'm also not totally against Maxwell and Starc coming in (although Starc's record of not taking wickets until after the 80th over doesn't have him high on my list of test quick options), but for Doolan and Sok?

Doolers isn't my first choice either, but FFS give the **** a go. Last week after his warm up game ton he's being groomed as the long term no.3 one game later they are pretty much ready to put a line through him. They cut him here and he's pretty much finished. He should at least get one more crack I reckon.

And SOK? Give me a ****ing break. The **** is the only finger spinner in Australia with a career average under 30 since Rowdy ****ing Mallett. After all these years they finally give him a cap on the Roadiest of Roads and whilst he never looked like running through them (does he ever) he still took more wickets that any other Australian and again got better returns than Lyon (what's that 10 out of 12 innings bowled together?) and he's for the chop? Just stupid ****.

 

[Spark]

Hmm, I don't think you could make an argument that SOK actually bowled better than Lyon though, and that's saying quite a bit. Alright, he doesn't look like running through a side but nonetheless a few fluke wickets aren't exactly convincing.

 

[adub]

Confirmed now. That's just ****ed. I hope the Pakis towel em up by an innings and. Appalling rubbish.

 

[morgieb]

This Test is gonna be a big show.

 

[morgieb]

benchmark00 on suicide watch.

 

[adub]

Hmm, I don't think you could make an argument that SOK actually bowled better than Lyon though, and that's saying quite a bit. Alright, he doesn't look like running through a side but nonetheless a few fluke wickets aren't exactly convincing.

Oh **** off. He takes fluke wickets every ****ing game. It's just pure arse that sees him take more wickets than every other spinner year after year.

It was his ****ing debut, against a side weened on spin, on a ****ing multi lane highway. He did his job, and when you're a bowler your job is to take wickets. Apart from MJ in the first dig no other **** showed up. I'll take a couple of fluke wickets every time over the 'better' bowler who trundles up for 0/100. When you only take 11 wickets in a test match and you drop the debutante who took 4 of them and leave in all the other ****s who couldn't take as many then you probably should pull your head out of your arse and get a bit better perspective. The only thing SOK did wrong was bowl to the Pakistani batsmen who unlike our dopes actually try and hit the straight ones.

 

[Gnske]

I'm also not totally against Maxwell and Starc coming in (although Starc's record of not taking wickets until after the 80th over doesn't have him high on my list of test quick options), but for Doolan and Sok?

Doolers isn't my first choice either, but FFS give the **** a go. Last week after his warm up game ton he's being groomed as the long term no.3 one game later they are pretty much ready to put a line through him. They cut him here and he's pretty much finished. He should at least get one more crack I reckon.

And SOK? Give me a ****ing break. The **** is the only finger spinner in Australia with a career average under 30 since Rowdy ****ing Mallett. After all these years they finally give him a cap on the Roadiest of Roads and whilst he never looked like running through them (does he ever) he still took more wickets that any other Australian and again got better returns than Lyon (what's that 10 out of 12 innings bowled together?) and he's for the chop? Just stupid ****.

I think Doolan was more of a placeholder fodder for the SA tour much like Quiney. Unfortunately unlike Quiney who scored the greatest 9 ever seen, Doolan looked pretty shabby in every knock he has played for Australia so far. Probably deserved one more chance but he looked like a walking wicket both times he came to the crease.

O'queef is dreadfully unlucky though, knowing what our selection is like his test career might already be resting in peace.

 

[nevermind]

Wonder if they had Maxwell in mind all along, but decided to give Doolan one more chance to fail to validate it.

Whatever happens it's going to be hilarious

 

[morgieb]

Pakistan win the toss.

Well, that's game.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Don't much rate either Doolan or O'Keefe, but surely the guy that made way had to be Marsh? Baffling decision.

 

[Justo]

Smith marked down as batting at 3 by Cricinfo at least. Still pretty poor selections IMO.

 

[Spark]

Oh **** off. He takes fluke wickets every ****ing game. It's just pure arse that sees him take more wickets than every other spinner year after year.

It was his ****ing debut, against a side weened on spin, on a ****ing multi lane highway. He did his job, and when you're a bowler your job is to take wickets. Apart from MJ in the first dig no other **** showed up. I'll take a couple of fluke wickets every time over the 'better' bowler who trundles up for 0/100. When you only take 11 wickets in a test match and you drop the debutante who took 4 of them and leave in all the other ****s who couldn't take as many then you probably should pull your head out of your arse and get a bit better perspective. The only thing SOK did wrong was bowl to the Pakistani batsmen who unlike our dopes actually try and hit the straight ones.

Eh, no.

He bowled consistently on leg stump for no apparent reason - like, I lost count of the number of times Clarke would give him two short covers and then he'd spend half the over on leg, and it was infuriating. He wasn't really that accurate. He failed to consistently put the batsman under pressure with sequences of deliveries or beat them in flight. His length was consistently poor. Lyon at least had several very close umpiring decisions go against him and a dropped catch, managing occasionally to beat the batsman in the air or off the pitch.

This post is actually kind of baffling because you haven't actually made a case for why SOK should have been kept other than his bowling figures, which were atrocious. So were Lyon's, of course, but at least he's actually looked a Test standard bowler in his career.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Smith marked down as batting at 3 by Cricinfo at least. Still pretty poor selections IMO.

Yeah, he should come out at 3 imo. TV coverage showed Maxwell at 3 though.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Rameez just said "They lost the first game because they lost the test match..."

Ok

 

[Nate]

O'Keefe forever Spark never

 

[dermo]

you could literally see danny morrison get a boner when clarke said maxwell is in the team