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

[Prince EWS]

Now you're back to your typical bright self.

I also think it's possible that they might just pick all the allrounders though. If Moeen opens and Rashid comes in then the only way Stokes can get into the team is if he does so on either batting or bowling alone.. which might mean he gets picked as a bowler over Wood/Finn, or it might mean he gets picked as a batsman over Bairstow/Taylor, or it might mean he doesn't get picked at all because they don't think he's better than those guys factoring in basically just one skill at a time. I think the latter is the most unlikely of the lot, and I also don't think Moeen opening is actually all that likely in the first place, so it's all a bit of a giant hypothetical.

 

[Prince EWS]

Well a lot of my posts have have little red marks from yourself. I thought they were publicly visible and not private. My apologies if not.

Ahh, that explains the wording of a lot of your reports (hint: a lot of the posts you reported asking why they hadn't been given infractions actually had been given infractions).

You can only see your own red squares; you can't see the red squares of others.

 

[91Jmay]

Stokes over Wood would (hehe) be a mistake I think. Understand that others aren't sold on him (and I am not 100% certain) but I think extra pace could be useful in UAE. Also we've seen before Stokes batting down the order isn't something that suits him, turns him into a dasher.

 

[CaptainGrumpy]

Ahh, that explains the wording of a lot of your reports (hint: a lot of the posts you reported asking why they hadn't been given infractions actually had been given infractions).

No. Me being immaturely banned explains all my reports and wording thereof (for as bad if not worse posts) - for which I never received a single reply by the way.

 

[Prince EWS]

No. Me being immaturely banned explains all my reports and wording thereof (for as bad if not worse posts) - for which I never received a single reply by the way.

A lot of the time you were asking why someone hadn't been given an infraction when they actually had, though. Makes sense if you thought all infractions were public.

 

[CaptainGrumpy]

A lot of the time you were asking why someone hadn't been given an infraction when they actually had, though. Makes sense if you thought all infractions were public.

Yeah, thats why I apologised previously on that condition. What makes less sense is to have a private reporting mechanism, with no replies from moderators then discussed by moderators in a public forum. But I am not upset. On scale of moderators from Dan to excellent, you're typically alright.

 

[Flem274*]

hahahaha you hear that Dan you've now inherited the title I stole from Furball

 

[CaptainGrumpy]

hahahaha you hear that Dan you've now inherited the title I stole from Furball

Furball was or is a moderator? He's almost a literate version of JediBrah.

 

[GIMH]

How about you move these posts to site discussion so I can read about England in UAE

 

[marc71178]

Furball was or is a moderator? He's almost a literate version of JediBrah.

PEWS, please explain to me why CaptainGrumpy is allowed to pollute the forum so much?

 

[honestbharani]

Back on topic.... is there any FC cricket that could sway selectors thoughts before the squad is chosen? Its still a month or so away from naming the side right?

 

[Howe_zat]

No. Me being immaturely banned explains all my reports and wording thereof (for as bad if not worse posts) - for which I never received a single reply by the way.

 

[Dan]

Personally, I can't see how the selectors could drop Stokes. Obviously his selection makes no sense from a balance PoV if Moeen opens, but there have been times in the not-too-recent past where Stokes has looked like the only (non-Root) bloke in the team who could actually play cricket.

I still don't like the idea of Moeen opening, so I'd be going for the awesome batting depth that is Rashid at 9, but that also leaves the team unbalanced.

Certainly a frustration that one of England's best players screws the team balance so completely.

 

[marc71178]

I agree they can't drop him, although I would be tempted as he's too hit and miss still in my mind. Are you seriously calling him one of our best players though?

 

[Pothas]

Well he has been our third best batsman this summer (not saying a whole lot I will admit) and then he has bowled a couple of great spells. I remember at the start of the summer saying that I wished he was just little bit better or a little bit worse then you know what to do with him. I think we have seen enough now to know that he just has to play, even if dropping him would seem logical, he just has to be in the side.

 

[Furball]

Furball was or is a moderator? He's almost a literate version of JediBrah.

And you are?

 

[TheJammyTurtle]

Ansari doing well in the current CC match hes playing in,could well be the third spinner to the UAE if they pick one.

 

[theegyptian]

Surrey all-rounder Zafar Ansari set for surprise England call-up for Pakistan tour | Daily Mail Online

lol at this piece. You gotta wonder about the sanity of the selectors or the veracity of the article if England were seriously considering taking Parry to UAE. I mean he is third spinner (at best) for lancashire in the championship behind Kerrigan and Lilley having not played this season, and only 3 games (in which he only took 4 wickets) last year- and only 9 first class games in total.

I would though take Parry for the T20's with the intention of taking him to the world t20 in India next year.

 

[JRC67]

Ansari doing well in the current CC match hes playing in,could well be the third spinner to the UAE if they pick one.

And Batty ended up doing even better with the ball. Ansari does seem a genuine all rounder, if in the Chris Tavare mould of batsmen. Biggest plus is he's a left armer,which would balance a leg spinner and two part time off spinners in Ali and Root. Based on the past history of wickets in the UAE there must be a strong argument in favour of playing 3 spinners, with Stokes being a third seamer, if Ali is going to be moved to open to accommodate an extra bowler. Seems a little pointless to have Wood, or Finn, or anyone of the other seamers on the edge of the squad trying to bang the ball in after 50 overs on a pitch that will resemble concrete, and if reverse swings for 20 overs or so Anderson and Stokes can both do it. If they don't want to play 3 spinners I'd have thought they should bring an extra batsman in to the middle order if they move Ali to open, which seems on the cards and still just have the two seamers plus Stokes and use Root as sixth bowler. Or they could go with the sensible option and pick an opening batsman and bed in a player who might make runs in South Africa and five bowlers!

 

[marc71178]

Remember, Ali is not a part time spinner.