*Official* Pakistan tour of Ireland, England and Scotland 2018

[Black_Warrior]

This team still missing a Younis Khan. Needed a 150+ score from someone in the top 4, 550 plus in the 1st innings and set up an innings victory or 10 wicket victory

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

This will test Abbas as a bowler. Hes been bowling under swinging conditions so far.

 

[Borges]

I really dont understand the logic behind moeen sitting out

I do. England desperately need a competent spinner and Moeen is not the one.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

This team still missing a Younis Khan. Needed a 150+ score from someone in the top 4, 550 plus in the 1st innings and set up an innings victory or 10 wicket victory

Babar Azam incident was unfortunate. He was looking good to get a ton at least

 

[morgieb]

I really dont understand the logic behind moeen sitting out

Was in terrible form and appeared to have lost all confidence, plus he's been hanging in the IPL rather than trying to regain form in county cricket (though Buttler.....)

Still think I'd have picked him. England's spinning stocks are poor enough that even 2017/18 Moeen wouldn't be much worse than the others and at his best he's a tremendous all-round package.

 

[YorksLanka]

This team still missing a Younis Khan. Needed a 150+ score from someone in the top 4, 550 plus in the 1st innings and set up an innings victory or 10 wicket victory

problem is, as we have found..its very, very hard to replace legends and sometimes you just need a few guys who can all contribute to a decent total. I have been really impressed with Pakistan's batting so far here. Real shame to lose Babar in the second innings..If England bat like they can, this may be an interesting finish..

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

I do. England desperately need a competent spinner and Moeen is not the one.

Yeah but he is the best among the lot?

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I really dont understand the logic behind moeen sitting out

I do, he has been crap and isn't even playing proper cricket. Then again we picked Buttler anyway so playing pointless cricket doesn't seem to matter.

 

[Borges]

Yeah but he is the best among the lot?

The problem with not even attempting to find some one else is that we would end up with a replay of the complete Ashley Giles saga.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

Plumb

 

[MW1304]

We can hardly complain when Moeen does absolutely nothing away from home if we're perfectly happy to keep playing him through the home season, then content with him remaining in the side for the winter. The Jadeja comparison doesn't track because India often only need one spinner away from India.

Considering how dropping Moeen earlier in the year was considered the most obvious move imaginable, I find it bizarre to see so many suggest he should have started here.

Woakes I can see but only because Wood is terrible. Again it isn't a sustainable pick, and if we want to do anything away from home ever again we have to take that into account through the home season too, or we'll continue to have the same failings over and over again year after year. Maybe look beyond Wood for that.

 

[morgieb]

Root pretty much has to score runs here for England to have any chance of salvaging the match.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Root pretty much has to score runs here for England to have any chance of salvaging the match.

Bairstow will score more and our main hope is the thunderstorms tomorrow taking out virtually the whole day.

 

[Black_Warrior]

#Abbasif

 

[OverratedSanity]

Nice

 

[Adders]

Nasser Hussein is a ****wit. He was calling for Jimmy to pull his length back in the first session yesterday

 

[Black_Warrior]

Nasser Hussein is a ****wit. He was calling for Jimmy to pull his length back in the first session yesterday

No he didn't. He actually put forward an excellent argument both for and against. That Anderson gets more movement when he drags it back and gets loopy when he pitches it up, thus allowing Haris to drive him down. What he didn't touch on, what none of the commentators touched on was how not to be loopy - which is to get the ball to shape in/away late. This is what guys like Wasim, Steyn mastered. An extremely difficult and rare skill.

 

[TheJediBrah]

We can hardly complain when Moeen does absolutely nothing away from home if we're perfectly happy to keep playing him through the home season, then content with him remaining in the side for the winter. The Jadeja comparison doesn't track because India often only need one spinner away from India.

Considering how dropping Moeen earlier in the year was considered the most obvious move imaginable, I find it bizarre to see so many suggest he should have started here.

Woakes I can see but only because Wood is terrible. Again it isn't a sustainable pick, and if we want to do anything away from home ever again we have to take that into account through the home season too, or we'll continue to have the same failings over and over again year after year. Maybe look beyond Wood for that.

Sometimes someone absolutely deserves to be dropped, even though they are still the best option. Just because they suck doesn't mean there's someone better. I don't see how anyone can have confidence that this Bess guy is better than Moeen would be as a bowler in England. That's not even taking batting into account.

 

[Borges]

This Pakistan pace attack is good; better than what England had to offer when they bowled.

 

[MW1304]

Sometimes someone absolutely deserves to be dropped, even though they are still the best option. Just because they suck doesn't mean there's someone better. I don't see how anyone can have confidence that this Bess guy is better than Moeen would be as a bowler in England. That's not even taking batting into account.

How will we ever know if anyone is better than the status quo unless we change things? He really did have to be dropped.