**Official** Pakistan and England in the UAE 2015/16

[smash84]

Pakistan going to really miss Junaid,apart from Wahab they don't have any other quick as good as him when on form,you just gotta hope he's back soon as he's a brilliant bowler to watch.Thats (fast bowling)probably the only one real area I think Pakistan are weak in,and the one area England are better in especially in the UAE where they (Pakistan) look a different animal on occasion.Cant see England winning this series,draw at best.

Imran khan and rahat have been decent in the uae. Better than how i thought they'd turn up.

 

[Xuhaib]

itd unfortunate Abdur Rehman has totally lost it he was gun ast time England were here.

An attack of Wahab, Rahat, Yasir and Imran/Babar still looks ok for me for the conditions.Also we are a better batting side then last time they were here.

 

[NZTailender]

Broad and Anderson to open, Stokes first change, Ali and Rashid to spinning in and away, Root as backup. If it's obvious that's wrong, change it for the second test.

 

[Howe_zat]

Pakistan's batting seems pretty much the same until you get down to Sarfraz Ahmed. He's made a really impressive impact.

 

[CaptainGrumpy]

NZ may have won with 3 spinners, but it was the one spinner in Craig who brought NZ into a position to win it, the batsman then provided a 339 first innings lead and then Boult who knocked the head off the final innings with 4 of the top 6 and Craig who got the remain 2 of the top 6.

Vettori and Sodhi have not played a test since. I appreciate that Vettori got Younis Khan out cheaply in the first innings. But lets not get silly and suggest three spinners is essential. Especially when Craig averages 40+ with the bat (and got a 50 that game as well).

 

[Howe_zat]

If they bring in Rashid it will obvs be for Wood/Finn. Stokes is safe.

My squad

Cook, Hales, Bell, Root, Taylor, Bairstow, Buttler, Ballance
Stokes Moeen Rashid Woakes
Anderson Broad Wood Finn Plunkett

I wish we had a left armer. I guess Footitt can go instead of Plunkett though it's not ideal circumstances for a debut

 

[Flem274*]

Moeen opening isn't terrible. The UAE is weird. Hafeez is a genuine opening batsman there. You get your hacks in to smash the new ball then save your guns for the spin and Rahat reverse swing.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Might as well keep it simple and just add Cook and Broad and the Yorkshire squad and call it England

You know it makes sense.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Jeez England spin bowling stocks are depressingly low. Top wicket-taker amongst the spinners in CC is Ansari. I'm a believer in taking two front-line spinners to the SC, but we might just have to stick to Moeen and Root, and hope Root can pull his weight. No other spinner warrants a squad place, let alone a place in the side.

I would go with the same XI, with potentially Bairstow taking the gloves, moving to six (stokes seven, Ali eight) and bringing in another bat (Taylor, Ballance, some county basher). No point playing spinners if they're not good enough.

England to lose 2-0.

Only because Rashid has missed half the season carrying drinks for England. He is the number one in county cricket and has been for a couple of years. Poor old Kerrigan seems to have gone. Not a lot else around bar very inexperienced kids.

 

[TheJammyTurtle]

Only because Rashid has missed half the season carrying drinks for England. He is the number one in county cricket and has been for a couple of years. Poor old Kerrigan seems to have gone. Not a lot else around bar very inexperienced kids.

Wouldn't say Kerrigan has gone by any stretch.Averaging 29 this season,probably the thing that's hampered him the most was the drop down to D2.England have asked him to come back into the squad since that horror debut,but he's declined.Certainly don't think we've seen the last of him.

 

[Prince EWS]

Moeen opening isn't terrible. The UAE is weird. Hafeez is a genuine opening batsman there. You get your hacks in to smash the new ball then save your guns for the spin and Rahat reverse swing.

I think the biggest drama with this would be convincing him that he should focus on his bowling if he's being selected as an opening batsman sometimes. Medium-term I think it'd just backfire in the development of a spinner.

 

[Xuhaib]

Pakistan's batting seems pretty much the same until you get down to Sarfraz Ahmed. He's made a really impressive impact.

Azhar and Asad are more established and generally much better batsmen then when last time England were here. Younis is also in better form though at his age you never know when you might loose it. Also Sarfaraz is a much much better bat then Adnan Akmal only Misbah has declined a bit since the last series.

However biggest advantage for England is there will be no Ajmal only that factor alone will ensure England has a much better series this time around.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Azhar and Asad are more established and generally much better batsmen then when last time England were here. Younis is also in better form though at his age you never know when you might loose it. Also Sarfaraz is a much much better bat then Adnan Akmal only Misbah has declined a bit since the last series.

However biggest advantage for England is there will be no Ajmal only that factor alone will ensure England has a much better series this time around.

If Yasir keeps bowling like he did against SL and Aus, England will have nightmares.

 

[Xuhaib]

If Yasir keeps bowling like he did against SL and Aus, England will have nightmares.

Yasir unlike Ajmal is not a mystery spinner so I believe England will handle him better and I also believe Ajmal was greatly aided by the work Rehman did in that series I don't think Zulfi is capable of providing the support role Mana provided to Ajmal.

 

[WalkingWicket]

Only because Rashid has missed half the season carrying drinks for England. He is the number one in county cricket and has been for a couple of years. Poor old Kerrigan seems to have gone. Not a lot else around bar very inexperienced kids.

Totally forgot about Rashid - then yeah, two spinners, Ali & Rashid @ 8 and 9, Broad 10, Anderson 11. Two spinners, and ridiculous batting depth.

 

[Niall]

Yasir unlike Ajmal is not a mystery spinner so I believe England will handle him better and I also believe Ajmal was greatly aided by the work Rehman did in that series I don't think Zulfi is capable of providing the support role Mana provided to Ajmal.

Not sure Zulfi is at the level Rehman was back in 2012, have seen him take a few beatings, Mc Cullum especially took him apart. Hafeez losing his bowling is a big loss, the most experienced of all the bowlers and a quality fifth option in these conditions. He is wasting his time touring next year, but not sure even without his bowling he is a worse option than Shan.

I know he did well last test but as the NZ posters have said he was dire against them, genuinely clueless against Sodhi and Craig, worrying as the SC is where he will play most of his tests.

 

[Cabinet96]

The wickets in 2012 were real new ball ones. Not sure opening is going to be easier than batting 6 or whatever.

 

[ImpatientLime]

how goes gareth batty these days?

 

[smash84]

a big factor in the NZ success in uae was baz. I can't see cook being so successful in taking apart the pak spinners. Baz when in the mood just totally kills the opposition attack

 

[ajdude]

man surely tredders is stiff here, thought he bowled alright in the windies.