**Official** Pakistan v New Zealand in the UAE 2014

[wellAlbidarned]

Most of us agree about Sodhi but at the end of the day he's on the field representing NZ so we're still going to support him and CBF beating the dead horse.

 

[Adders]

Most of us agree about Sodhi but at the end of the day he's on the field representing NZ so we're still going to support him and CBF beating the dead horse.

This 100%.

You might not always agree with selections but I've always taken the view that if you genuinely support your team, then come game time you get behind all 11 players representing you no matter what. In short, a thread like this during game play is not the place to continually go on....and on....and on....and on....and on about your particular agenda re certain players, there are plenty of other avenues for that.

It is particularly frustrating reading for other fans who are trying to support these players and hope (maybe against all odds) that they will do well.

 

[hendrix]

If I recall correctly, Craig bowled us to victory in one of the tests - Sodhi took foregone conclusion wickets. Spin bowlers are selected primarily to take wickets in the third or fourth innings of a test match to win games. Sodhi doesn't have that capability, Sodhi has never bowled ND to a win, let alone NZ.

This is where you're ridiculous.

Craig was just as abysmal as Sodhi in the second Windies test. Sodhi has been our best bowler by a country mile in this test.

I don't mind you being critical but you have to be consistent.

 

[Howsie]

If I recall correctly, Craig bowled us to victory in one of the tests - Sodhi took foregone conclusion wickets. Spin bowlers are selected primarily to take wickets in the third or fourth innings of a test match to win games. Sodhi doesn't have that capability, Sodhi has never bowled ND to a win, let alone NZ.

See, you're wrong again. Sodhi has bowled ND to victory before. I'm sure you'll make up some sort of bull**** as to why it doesn't count but he most definitely has.

 

[hendrix]

Although I would still pick Todd Astle over Ish Sodhi:
Two years ago Todd Astle played in the Sri Lanka Test that we won. He was completely non-threatening for the most part and looked little more than a part time bowler. He was slow through the air and his wrong-un was easy to read. To be fair, he was very much a part time bowler at that stage.
Two years later, Todd Astle is probably the best spinner in the domestic scene. From Kippax's videos it seems he's added some speed through the air so that his deliveries aren't such lollipops.

At 22, Sodhi has looked better than Astle looked in Sri Lanka. In two years time he will probably be significantly better.

And if Todd Astle continues to improve and continues to be better than Sodhi? Fine, pick him then. By that stage the numbers will be overwhelming and the selectors will be forced to make that decision. But the numbers aren't overwhelming at this point in time. Tastle has done well but he's not banging the door down.

 

[Energetic]

I never thought New Zealand will play this poorly. People were saying prior to this series that New Zealand are one of the most exciting teams in the world right now and will pose a much stronger challenge than Australia. They have too many bits and pieces all-rounders I feel in Anderson and Neesham. What New Zealand needs are specialists.

 

[hendrix]

I never thought New Zealand will play this poorly. People were saying prior to this series that New Zealand are one of the most exciting teams in the world right now and will pose a much stronger challenge than Australia. They have too many bits and pieces all-rounders I feel in Anderson and Neesham. What New Zealand needs are specialists.

I agree but the reality is that NZ doesn't have any middle order batsmen good enough for selection anyway, so we may as well play Anderson and Neesh for development purposes. Both of them are within the top 10 batsmen in the country. Maybe someone like Flynn or some other domestic stalwarts might be slightly better but not significantly.

 

[Athlai]

The best thing about Blocky is that he is bringing people around to Guptill's side. #teamAthlai #winningnotwinning

 

[Bahnz]

James needs to create some Cricket web merch with #teamblocky and #teamathlai on it.

 

[Blocky]

Most of us agree about Sodhi but at the end of the day he's on the field representing NZ so we're still going to support him and CBF beating the dead horse.

Where as I take the fatalist viewpoint that part of the problem with NZ cricket is we favour certain players and give them a tonne of chances (Guptill, Sodhi, Fulton, Rutherford ) while we discard other players who ironically have better results in other formats ( Astle, Brownlie, Ronchi ) and think that too much is put around "Oh, this guy fits our team culture" rather than "This guy helps us win games"

See, you're wrong again. Sodhi has bowled ND to victory before. I'm sure you'll make up some sort of bull**** as to why it doesn't count but he most definitely has.

When?

This is where you're ridiculous.

Craig was just as abysmal as Sodhi in the second Windies test. Sodhi has been our best bowler by a country mile in this test.

I don't mind you being critical but you have to be consistent.

Let's see, Craig basically bowled himself into the incumbent spinner spot during that series, by playing a huge part in a victory for us. Sodhi hasn't been our best bowler by a country mile - they've all been absurdly useless, but had BJ Watling had a normal day behind the sticks then Craig generated two or three opportunities against the set batsman, hard to put Craig down for that considering he did create the chances

Sodhi in this match has taken wickets largely due to people slogging across the line at him, getting the best results doesn't neccessarily mean you've been the best bowler on display. I'd say Anderson has probably been our best bowler. Sodhi has just happened to get a couple of wickets. Sodhi has also got those wickets at about 60 while going for 5 an over... so go figure, if that's him "bowling well" - I'd hate to see him on an off day.

 

[Blocky]

Although I would still pick Todd Astle over Ish Sodhi:
Two years ago Todd Astle played in the Sri Lanka Test that we won. He was completely non-threatening for the most part and looked little more than a part time bowler. He was slow through the air and his wrong-un was easy to read. To be fair, he was very much a part time bowler at that stage.
Two years later, Todd Astle is probably the best spinner in the domestic scene. From Kippax's videos it seems he's added some speed through the air so that his deliveries aren't such lollipops.

At 22, Sodhi has looked better than Astle looked in Sri Lanka. In two years time he will probably be significantly better.

And if Todd Astle continues to improve and continues to be better than Sodhi? Fine, pick him then. By that stage the numbers will be overwhelming and the selectors will be forced to make that decision. But the numbers aren't overwhelming at this point in time. Tastle has done well but he's not banging the door down.

Where is this "He looks significantly better" coming from? The guy only takes wickets through batsman error while coughing up runs left right and centre. He looks a better test batsman than Astle did - which is scary - but as a bowler? I'd actually say Brooke Walker looked more likely and he was horrible.

 

[Howsie]

When?

Earlier this year, 5-29 his best first class figures. ND rolled Canterbury for 70 odd chasing on the last day.

How about dem connections!

 

[Flem274*]

blocky appears to have constructed a narrative in his head where he sees what no one else can, and he's superior to us 90% of New Zealanders he mentioned before. He's the outsider, the real deal.

and for someone who told me i apparently care about the forum too much, he really does seem to care about his reputation on this forum. he's desperately scrabbling to be seen as the intelligent, pulls no punches, tell it like it is old pro.

looking specifically at our supposed sensitivity champ, i can tell you now you're not the first person half of us have disagreed with strongly about cricket. howsie and i almost never agree, same with me and hendrix, and on mikes first day we had a big argument over who should be the next keeper in line, yet away from the debate we're all g.

yet we all hate you. instead of pretending you're the only one who sees the truth maaan, maybe you should go away and have a think about the concept of respect.

 

[hendrix]

Blocky straight up did not watch any of this test.

Lol at giving Craig credit for Shehzad running down the pitch and missing a straight one.

Lol at not giving Sodhi credit for Taylor standing too deep to take the regulation edge. Lol at not giving Sodhi credit for a perfectly pitched legbreak that hit the top of off.

Inconsistency to the point of lunacy.

 

[Flem274*]

also i'd like to publicly call out the moderating last night so it doesn't get swept under the carpet like it would if i emailed.

we had a poster from a certain group of islands in here last night running around being a gloating, thread derailing, passive aggressive little **** who had at least one person report him and yet the two moderators in the thread did nothing.

and you lot wonder why i just spray people?

no doubt i'll be the one with the week off.

 

[BeeGee]

This has all been an Australian plot to get revenge for Hobart. They deliberately played poorly against Pakistan so that all the Pakistan players went into the NZ series in top form with astronomical levels of confidence.

Bastards.

 

[Athlai]

Moderaters not having a ****block function and having to review everything in committee just makes it an absolute farce. The amount of not-tour related nonse that was posted last night that mostly only served to wind us up was ridiculous.

 

[Howsie]

Yep. It was pretty much internet trolling 101, backed by a couple of mods AFAIC.

 

[Nate]

blocky appears to have constructed a narrative in his head where he sees what no one else can, and he's superior to us 90% of New Zealanders he mentioned before.

If it helps, he was also a moron in the Pakistan vs Australia thread.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

I freely admit I don't really know about cricket or even take it seriously, but on the other hand I'm not Dunning-Kruger in human form so I guess I win.