*Official* Pakistan in England and Ireland 2016

[flibbertyjibber]

Weird time to declare, I would've waited another 20 minutes. I suppose though the bowling was getting to 'give up' levels though so in that sense it's OK.

If they had the 20 minutes both would have had tons, no idea why they didn't go for them to be honest.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

Pacier normally, turns on day 4 and 5 usually. Good to bat on early in game.

Hmmm. So Yasir could do damage if we win the toss there.

 

[Howe_zat]

Pacier normally, turns on day 4 and 5 usually. Good to bat on early in game.

I reckon the Oval only turns a bit more because it always gets a test at the end of August.

We've only won there in 1 of the last 4 I think? Pakistan will definitely think of it as a game to target.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

I reckon the Oval only turns a bit more because it always gets a test at the end of August.

We've only won there in 1 of the last 4 I think? Pakistan will definitely think of it as a game to target.

That's good. It's the one I have tickets for.

 

[91Jmay]

Reckon they decided 70 was far enough away from ton to justify declaring. If they'd have batted another 20 mins are both are 10-15 away then they'd probably have to bat on and look selfish.

 

[Stapel]

I sense a Jimmy special! Nice time to tune in, I guess.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Reckon they decided 70 was far enough away from ton to justify declaring. If they'd have batted another 20 mins are both are 10-15 away then they'd probably have to bat on and look selfish.

Given how quickly they had done it today I don't think it mattered. Both would be there or an over or 2 away by 12 anyway.

 

[Howe_zat]

Nasser brings up Broad's cutters and calls it a 'new skill' which seems odd, didn't he bowl cutters in that famous spell at the Oval in 2009? Or am I imagining that

 

[91Jmay]

Just read on twitter that since Friday Root has gone past Greig, Amiss, Flintoff and Trott on England's all-time Test run scorers list.

 

[Howe_zat]

Just read on twitter that since Friday Root has gone past Greig, Amiss, Flintoff and Trott on England's all-time Test run scorers list.

I never would have thought those four were together.

 

[Howe_zat]

You got four slips Jim. Get it up there

 

[91Jmay]

Broad hasn't bowled that great so far this series, but his accuracy is so unrelenting nowadays that he is still really valuable even when not at his best. Has shaken that boom or bust type bowler and is now more solid or boom.

 

[Howe_zat]

Hafeez given one to wear on the right elbow - nice of Anderson to help him prepare for his test next week

 

[GIMH]

I don't agree with Scaly but I also disagree with this. I disagree with Scaly for other reasons, I don't think it is fair to say that if England win Scaly is wrong.

It is absolutely possible as a captain to make a bad decision but win anyway, just like it is possible as a batsman to play a bad shot that goes for 4.

In the long run, yes, the ends justify the means. Looking to the result to analyse a one-off decision, though, is a bad idea.

I agree, and acknowledged this in my post by saying you can't analyse purely on results.

But it's to be balanced against the could have would have. I don't want to sidetrack the thread. if we win with a day to spare, as we could well, then your hard-pressed to persuade me there's any analytical logic in saying it was still the wrong decision. There are fine margins in all such things.

 

[GIMH]

God people in here going full on 'one swallow makes a summer' argument. Or a world champion who understands game theory far better than most said it was wrong so it must be right. The last few pages must be an appreciative nod to PakPassion. Declarations are totally something you can look at with a maths brain and make better calls than professional cricketers. Because the main variables are bad light & umpire interpretation (which as said yesterday they were very lenient with), rain (you can get hourly percentage chances on it occurring - which varied between 10 and 33 percent when I last checked, the higher ones were more for tomorrow), the sort of typical range of scores that are in Pakistan's ability, as well as how many overs they can bat. I don't expect Cook to interpret all these factors, but England have plenty of backroom staff who would make a better call than Cook with Broad and Anderson whining in his ear about having to bowl more than 12 overs in a day.

It's not about exceptional examples, saying it is wrong to enforce the follow-on because a team batted out 199 overs once. It is about what gives you the best chance. Cricket is all about playing the percentages. There's never a 100% foolproof option. Whether it is the game as a whole or a particularly delivery. You can't play in fear of making a mistake or having a bad result. It's like when Sri Lanka got bowled out when they only needed to bat out 40 or so overs for a draw. It was unlikely, but you give yourself the best chance of winning and you will win more games ultimately.

Australia have gone full-moron ever since they lost when enforcing the follow-on. They've completely ignored the fact they could have replayed that Test 1000 times and never have lost again. That it took all time great innings, a full day's play without a wicket falling, a comically inept Australian batting performance. The focus should be on that, not the decision because the decision was correct.

Here there should still be attention paid to the decision, no matter what happens, because it was a shocking decision and they need to learn from it.

I don't know why more cricket teams don't employ scrabble gurus as declaration analysts

 

[Compton]

If Pakistan could be very unPakistan about this and not lose a wicket before lunch, that would be great.

 

[Howe_zat]

If Shan Masood's test career ends this summer, people (and possibly Masood himself) are going to believe that James Anderson is the thing that stopped him succeeding in Tests. I wonder how you'd feel about that.

 

[Furball]

I don't know why more cricket teams don't employ scrabble gurus as declaration analysts

 

[91Jmay]

If you are a bad left hander the idea of playing against Jimmy must genuinely give you anxiety. Thirimanne, Masood, van Zyl just off the top of my head have looked like complete amateurs against him.

 

[smash84]

terrible, if only pakistan can put up even a half reasonable total in the 2nd innings. Somethng like 300 on this wicket. Is that asking for too much? I mean all the fans are asking is a bit of a fight before total capitulation