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

[marc71178]

Could argue with dropping Moeen as Rashid looks a player who may score a few runs in next test too. The way he got his head down and was reading the leg spinner was pretty impressive.

Problem is he's meant to be there to bowl...

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Problem is he's meant to be there to bowl...

Neither of them have bowled well though. Moeen considering he is supposed to be the number 1 spinner has been poor.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

so Yasir is now 2nd in the ICC bowling rankings.

He's been bowling on spin friendly tracks so far.

The real test would come when he moves outside Asia. Get a feeling that he will be found out.

Don't think so. Last track was not like dustbowl. From what I have been noticing, he uses his brain and tries to set up batsmen. He set up Bairstow beautifully.

 

[Watson33]

More important than the T20 thing is what they do with him for the upcoming tour of SA. Can they take him on that tour given the form he is in or would it be better to give him a 3-4 month break to recharge mentally come back with a fresh outlook?

I'd certainly drop him for the last test of this tour. He isn't going to get out of his slump playing on spinning decks. Problem is he hasn't really looked himself for a while now, I think it's best to give him and break and let Billings sample a full tour with squad.

 

[91Jmay]

Who would be our backup/challenger to Bairstow?

Steve Davies would be my shout 819 runs @ 51 and looks so ****ing good when he is on, just hope he gets chance to be picked on merit alone and hasn't got black mark against his name.

 

[theegyptian]

Davies gave up keeping a couple of years ago.

 

[marc71178]

Neither of them have bowled well though. Moeen considering he is supposed to be the number 1 spinner has been poor.

And Rashid for all the hype about him has been equally awful. Difference is that at least Moeen has some history of bowling well.

 

[wpdavid]

And Rashid for all the hype about him has been equally awful. Difference is that at least Moeen has some history of bowling well.

And the really depressing thought is that none of us could seriously come up with realistic alternatives. Which means that any spinners our batsmen face in the domestic games are actually worse than these guys. Apart from facing Ajmal for Worcs, I suppose. No wonder our newer bats haven't the first clue how to play the twirly stuff.

 

[Prince EWS]

And the really depressing thought is that none of us could seriously come up with realistic alternatives. Which means that any spinners our batsmen face in the domestic games are actually worse than these guys. Apart from facing Ajmal for Worcs, I suppose.

And Jeets. Don't forget Jeets.

 

[Niall]

And the really depressing thought is that none of us could seriously come up with realistic alternatives. Which means that any spinners our batsmen face in the domestic games are actually worse than these guys. Apart from facing Ajmal for Worcs, I suppose. No wonder our newer bats haven't the first clue how to play the twirly stuff.

And even then, an Ajmal a shadow of his former self with his new action.

 

[theegyptian]

Apparently England considering not 1, not 2, but 3 spinners for Sharjah.

 

[wpdavid]

And Jeets. Don't forget Jeets.

Sorry. I had indeed completely forgotten Jeets.

 

[wpdavid]

Apparently England considering not 1, not 2, but 3 spinners for Sharjah.

Not according to the last bit of this article.
James Taylor set to replace England?s Jos Buttler with Bairstow taking gloves | Sport | The Guardian

 

[Cabinet96]

Will support Pakistan if Patel plays.

 

[theegyptian]

Not according to the last bit of this article.
James Taylor set to replace England?s Jos Buttler with Bairstow taking gloves | Sport | The Guardian

I'm just amazed Bayliss was even considering it as a likely option. The interview video he gives on the ecb twitter suggest he's still considering it and were waiting until they got to Sharjah.

 

[Prince EWS]

I remember a while ago Moeen in an interview talking about how he'd done some work with Kumar Dharmasena to get his front arm up and down faster, enabling him to get the ball through quicker without sacrificing revs. He talked about how he thought he needed to do this against Test batsmen if he was going to be a frontline bowler because he feared they'd just use their feet and meet him on the half volley all the time. I often think about this interview, for two reasons.

1. Do England actually still have a spin bowling coach? Is Such still involved? It seems odd to me that Moeen went and did work with an umpire instead of the actual coach.

2. I'm not sure this was a good move. Moeen's a much better OD bowler now and he does a better holding job in Tests, but I think the pre-Dharmasena Moeen was actually more threatening in that he actually beat batsmen in flight occasionally. Maybe this was a trade-off that needed to happen for Moeen to be used as a frontline bowler in all conditions immediately, but I can't help but think there may have been other ways to achieve this, particularly given he was playing in a five-man attack and Joe Root is also pretty effective at doing a holding job anyway.

 

[aussie]

And even then, an Ajmal a shadow of his former self with his new action.

Nah Ajmal was playing for Worcs before he got called. Then of course at various points since 2000 Warne, Murali, Mushtaq, MacGill, Saqlain had long stints in CC.

 

[theegyptian]

I remember a while ago Moeen in an interview talking about how he'd done some work with Kumar Dharmasena to get his front arm up and down faster, enabling him to get the ball through quicker without sacrificing revs. He talked about how he thought he needed to do this against Test batsmen if he was going to be a frontline bowler because he feared they'd just use their feet and meet him on the half volley all the time. I often think about this interview, for two reasons.

1. Do England actually still have a spin bowling coach? Is Such still involved? It seems odd to me that Moeen went and did work with an umpire instead of the actual coach.

2. I'm not sure this was a good move. Moeen's a much better OD bowler now and he does a better holding job in Tests, but I think the pre-Dharmasena Moeen was actually more threatening. Maybe this was a trade-off that needed to happen for Moeen to be used as a frontline bowler in all conditions immediately, but I can't help but think there may have been other ways to achieve this, particularly given he was playing in a five-man attack and Joe Root is also pretty effective at doing a holding job anyway.

Not even sure it was work with Dharmasena. Wasn't it just Dharmasena umpiring and suggested Moeen grab his pocket or something when bowling - and Moeen tried it and liked it.

Definitely think they're lacking spin bowling coaching on this tour. Even more reason to have someone like Tredwell or Batty on tour as third spinner who even if they didn't play and didn't offer technical advice - could be an old head to speak in theoretical terms in how to counter the Pakistan batsman tactics. Ali looks a little clueless tactically to me which isn't a surprise given his relative lack of experience and the experience and class of Misbah and Khan.

 

[wpdavid]

Nah Ajmal was playing for Worcs before he got called. Then of course at various points since 20000 Warne, Murali, Mushtaq, MacGill, Saqlain had long stints in CC.

Not for a year or ten, surely. Or is my aging memory letting me down again?

 

[aussie]

Not for a year or ten, surely. Or is my aging memory letting me down again?

About 3 years. He first played for Worcs in 2011, crackdown on him and chuckers worldwide starting last year june.