***Official*** Pakistan in Bangladesh 2015

[cnerd123]

Disappointing

 

[OverratedSanity]

Man how are Pakistan no.3? They've won what... one series apart from this one in ages. So many bad teams right now.

 

[Antihippy]

I mean who else are you going to give it to? The only next probable candidate is england and they're in a somewhat rough patch right now. (which is to be expected with so many young players transitioning into the side)

 

[Athlai]

NZ will be #3 soon. Don't worry.

 

[OverratedSanity]

I mean who else are you going to give it to? The only next probable candidate is england and they're in a somewhat rough patch right now. (which is to be expected with so many young players transitioning into the side)

I'm not saying they don't deserve it or anything... statistically, they are no.3

I agree that NZ will overtake them soon, if they have a good schedule. Also,I just realised that Pakistan's 3-0 win over the no.1 ranked England in 2012 was the thing keeping their ranking afloat. Once that is wiped off in the coming months, they'll drop fast.

 

[Athlai]

I'm not saying they don't deserve it or anything... statistically, they are no.3

I agree that NZ will overtake them soon, if they have a good schedule. Also,I just realised that Pakistan's 3-0 win over the no.1 ranked England in 2012 was the thing keeping their ranking afloat. Once that is wiped off in the coming months, they'll drop fast.

Australia away, Sri Lanka at home and Australia at home.

Those are the big Test series coming up for the end of this year and early next year. If we win them all we'll be #2 or #1 depending on how the England series goes.

We should probably dismantle a diminished SL in home conditions but the Australia Tests will be awesome IMO. Assuming we don't get rolled by England and at least keep up our good form, this is probably the closest NZ and Australia have been since the 80s tours. And man for man I'd say it's even more evenly matched than it was then.

 

[Antihippy]

Oh yeah, kind of forgotten about NZ. Really shouldn't though because they are pretty awesome right now.

Looking forward to our battles against NZ moreso than the ashes tbh.

Aren't we also testing Day/Night Tests during one of those series?

 

[Niall]

Aren't we also testing Day/Night Tests during one of those series?

I could be wrong, but its not been confirmed yet and unfortunately some of the players not keen.

Black Caps not overly enthused about inaugural night test match against Australia | Stuff.co.nz

 

[Furball]

Man how are Pakistan no.3? They've won what... one series apart from this one in ages. So many bad teams right now.

They've been thumping everyone at home.

 

[OverratedSanity]

They've been thumping everyone at home.

If by "everyone" you mean Australia then sure. England got blanked 3 years ago, but that's literally it. They haven't won any series at home apart from those two in a long time. NZ, SA and SL all managed to draw series in the UAE.

 

[Niall]

NZ will be #3 soon. Don't worry.

And they are today in the new rankings.

1) Sa (Rating 130)
2) Aus (Rating 108)
3) Nz (Rating 99)
4) Ind (Rating 99)
5) Eng (Rating 97)
6) Pak (Rating 97)
7) Sl (Rating 96)
8) WI (Rating 84)
9)Bangla (Rating 39)
10) Zimbabwe (Rating 5)

 

[Antihippy]

How is India still anywhere in the top 5? o_O

 

[Niall]

How is India still anywhere in the top 5? o_O

Somewhat perplexed as well. I suppose the 4-0 thumping of Australia helps, and nobody bar NZ, Aus and SA have been that consistent over the last few years,

 

[Antihippy]

Barring that though they haven't won anything in zonks, and I recall AUS were pretty low down the rankings during that time? It wouldn't count that much would it? At least not enough to dethrone england and pakistan.

 

[OverratedSanity]

How is India still anywhere in the top 5? o_O

Somewhat perplexed as well. I suppose the 4-0 thumping of Australia helps, and nobody bar NZ, Aus and SA have been that consistent over the last few years,

I assume the 0-4 thumping in Australia in 2012 was wiped away in the new ranking time period. Similarly, Pakistan's 3-0 over England was also wiped so they dropped.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Steyn would get along with Sehwag quite well:

At this stage of my career, I'd rather be saving myself to go and participate in the major tournaments, rather than wasting the few balls I have left in my career in a Bangladesh match," Steyn said in an interview with Wisden India.

"I'd rather go to Bangladesh to help and support future South African bowlers, and use what is left of the 10,000 or 20,000 deliveries that I have in my body for the big tournament. That's where I'm at personally. But at the beginning of my career, I would have done everything. I would have gone every tournament and to every place. But I've done it all now."

Steyn, who has been playing international cricket for a decade, has competed against all nine Test teams he could have faced. He maintains that Test cricket is the format he wants to "play a lot more," in, especially because, at 31, he considers his days "numbered."

In the same time period, Steyn has been less prolific in limited-overs cricket. He has featured in two fifty-over World Cups and four World T20s but been rested from several other series as South Africa sought to keep him fresh. As his career reaches its twilight years, Steyn said that trend will continue because he placed greater value on major tournaments than bilateral series.

"It might sound very ****y or naïve of me, or self-centered, but I want to win a World Cup for my country. And they only come around once every four years. If you're playing in the Twenty20 World Cup, luckily they come around every second year," he said. "So with all due respect to places like Bangladesh or Zimbabwe, going and playing three ODIs in Bangladesh does nothing for my confidence as opposed to knowing that I'm going to a World Cup

 

[smash84]

Lol. Holy ****

 

[Grumpy]

Nice try Dale. We all know you pissed your breeches once you saw the mighty Tamim smack Junaid and co about

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

At this stage of my career, I should rather be saving myself to go and participate in the major tournaments, rather than wasting the few balls I have left in my career in an IPL match

Corrected

 

[Dan]

So the World Cup is more meaningful than a decontextualised bilateral series? Quelle surprise.

Steyn saving himself for Tests, the money-spinning IPL, and a handful of ODIs to gear towards the World Cup is nothing controversial, especially when South Africa can use the other ODIs to get Hendricks, de Lange, Morris and Abbott to higher levels of experience, strengthening their World Cup bid even more.