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

[Jono]

Not sure what to make of Michael Vaughan here. He is calling Yasir Shah 'so called best spinner bowling around the wicket'. Seems to have an axe to grind for some inexplicable reason.

He's just one of the biggest ****s in cricket. He's a plague on cricket journalism. Just ignore him, absolute dickhead.

 

[Black_Warrior]

Think your argument is a facile one (which I don't blame you for as you've probably only got a passing interest in what England do with their team) which doesn't do justice to the complexity of the decision that the selectors had for this series - mainly as a result of having no spinners in which they could trust.

I feel like you're suggesting a team like

Cook
Bell
Taylor
Root
Ballance
Stokes
Buttler
Ali
Rashid
Broad
Anderson

which on the face of it looks a stronger team. Problem is that it puts an almighty burden on Broad and Anderson in the bowling especially the first innings. Swap Ali for a 2012 Swann or Panesar and you could play that team as Swann/Panesar could bowl the (35 overs in a day) holding overs in the first innings - England didn't have that here. You could mess around with combinations of different team for hours but I don't think England would have ever found a team that they were completely happy with given their resources at their disposal. They were always going to be short on either batting or bowling dependent on which way they went.

I'd have played Taylor from the start of the tour but there are also significant reasons to not see Bell, Bairstow, Stokes or Buttler dropped - so I can see why they didn't make that decision.

Yeah I think the main reason we are seeing so many allrounders is mainly a result of England being mindful of the fact that they would probably be bowling a lot of overs, and you cannot have your faster bowlers bowling long spells in these conditions. They wanted as many bowling options as possible, which isn't entirely a bad thing.
However, given that Root bowls a few overs, I would play 2 alrounders instead of three, so 2 out of Stokes, Ali, Rashid and play Taylor.

 

[Pothas]

Would probably just bring Taylor in for Buttler or the last Test, would not really object to Hales in for Bell but probably not something I would do.

Bell can open, Moeen as an opener was always a bad idea, I hope they don't persist with it.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

He's just one of the biggest ****s in cricket. He's a plague on cricket journalism. Just ignore him, absolute dickhead.

Wouldn't be such a dickish statement if he actually said who he thinks is better. Not sure if he did as never heard it but on its own it seems a bit childish.

 

[Furball]

Jeez that Buttler dismissal is horrible. Brilliant length from Yasir Shah to be fair to the bowler, don't think I'm not giving him any credit for a good delivery, but just horribly played. Absolutely nothing footwork and just hanging the bat out for the edge.

 

[Black_Warrior]

Adil Rashid can bat... he might actually give Moeen a run for his position in South Africa

 

[Pratters]

Will be epic if they manage to draw this. Looking at 23-25 overs in the session.

 

[Niall]

Yeah would be an amazing achievement to draw this, probably even more remarkable than Cardiff 2009 and the draws in South Africa. Pakistan will be getting very worried soon enough if nothing happens.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Adil Rashid can bat... he might actually give Moeen a run for his position in South Africa

I did say before the series he would be a better bat than Buttler and Stokes out here.

 

[Daemon]

Think your argument is a facile one (which I don't blame you for as you've probably only got a passing interest in what England do with their team) which doesn't do justice to the complexity of the decision that the selectors had for this series - mainly as a result of having no spinners in which they could trust.

I feel like you're suggesting a team like

Cook
Bell
Taylor
Root
Ballance
Stokes
Buttler
Ali
Rashid
Broad
Anderson

which on the face of it looks a stronger team. Problem is that it puts an almighty burden on Broad and Anderson in the bowling especially the first innings. Swap Ali for a 2012 Swann or Panesar and you could play that team as Swann/Panesar could bowl the (35 overs in a day) holding overs in the first innings - England didn't have that here. You could mess around with combinations of different team for hours but I don't think England would have ever found a team that they were completely happy with given their resources at their disposal. They were always going to be short on either batting or bowling dependent on which way they went.

I'd have played Taylor from the start of the tour but there are also significant reasons to not see Bell, Bairstow, Stokes or Buttler dropped - so I can see why they didn't make that decision.

Nah I wasn't criticising the selections that they've already made, it wasn't easy to pick an XI at the start of the series, though I would have gone with the team you mentioned.

 

[Pothas]

Played lad.

 

[Jono]

Draw is great value right now.

 

[Pratters]

Great test match cricket. Atherton commentating. Couldn't ask for more.

 

[Niall]

Draw is great value right now.

On it at 10/1 for a bowl of rice, still not confident of Anderson lasting to long against Riaz, these 2 got to bat pretty much all this session though, not improbable though when you consider how well they have done so far. The pitch has nothing for the bowlers whatsoever.

 

[Pratters]

Want a draw but think Pakistan will manage to squeeze out the win. Tense and exciting.

 

[MW1304]

How many times in this type of rearguard, which happens far too regularly in the first place, does our tail just completely show up the middle order. Pretty much every time it feels like.

 

[Jono]

On it at 10/1 for a bowl of rice, still not confident of Anderson lasting to long against Riaz, these 2 got to bat pretty much all this session though, not improbable though when you consider how well they have done so far. The pitch has nothing for the bowlers whatsoever.

Yep. Obviously Pak deserved favourites but they are far far too short.

Have had a red hot crack at the draw here.

 

[Pothas]

Get dark already.

 

[Jono]

Do Eng have a review left? Could be crucial in the last few overs

 

[Jono]

what time has the light gone down this test?

anyone?