*Official* Pakistan v New Zealand in the UAE 2018

[Moss]

i'm one of the few left who thinks munro can genuinely bat, but i don't think he's an opener and ive always been convinced that in the world cup in real games against real attacks one dimensional sloggers (which is what munro is as an opener) are utterly exposed. basically, can your openers get through 10 overs of steyn/ngidi/rabada or starc/haz/cummins (or boult/southee/ferguson). this pakistan attacks looks excellent but the UAE decks are a dump and munro is struggling against the quicks. guptill/latham imo. even nicholls has opened for canterbury and you'd rather he start against pace than spin.

latham opening also opens up the option of having santa at #7 and using 5 real odi bowlers, which again is a massive advantage in the world cup if santa continues to provide #7 hitting power with lord colin at #6

im not against milne and ferguson playing together but milne is not a wicket taker, he's a 150kph gavin larsen and that should be taken into account. henry has death bowling issues but he's dynamite in the first 35 overs. if we want to go with the wicketest attack then it's boult/henry/ferguson imo.

Agree with all of this barring the bit about Latham opening. Apart from KW, he's the one middle order player adept at dealing with accurate slow bowling and rotating the strike.Having him opening does improve the balance of the side but he's rarely made big scores in that position (in ODIs) and I can then see the middle order getting utterly tied up when the spinners come on.

 

[Bahnz]

So a couple days out, I guess my XI would be: Latham, Raval, KW, Taylor, Nicholls, Watling, CdG, Sodhi, Wagner, Boult, Patel

Urgh, that's an ugly long tail but it can't be helped. Southee was pretty ineffective on his last trip to the UAE, so despite his strong performance against England last season, it's hard to give him the nod over Wagner - and as previously mentioned my pov is that we've got to go with 2 spinners. Patel has done the hard yards so he gets the job ahead of Somerville, but I do think it's a bit of a missed opportunity not getting Patel to play at least one of the two A tests.

 

[Athlai]

Really don't think CDG offers us anything at all here.

 

[Bahnz]

Really don't think CDG offers us anything at all here.

I tend to agree, but what's the alternative? Do you pick 5 specialist bowlers and just cross your fingers that Ross and KW both have massive series?

 

[Athlai]

I tend to agree, but what's the alternative? Do you pick 5 specialist bowlers and just cross your fingers that Ross and KW both have massive series?

I probably would honestly. If Santa or even Tastle was fit it'd be an easy call.

 

[NZTailender]

It's the UAE. There will probably be some situation where we're 5/**** all and CdG comes out and scores a run a ball 130 against the run of play because playing Pakistan in UAE rarely makes sense.

 

[Athlai]

Sodhi is averaging about 50 with the bat there with 144 runs. We'll be fine.

 

[Mike5181]

Wouldn't risk it with bowlers like Mohammad Abbas in the opposition.

 

[straw man]

So a couple days out, I guess my XI would be: Latham, Raval, KW, Taylor, Nicholls, Watling, CdG, Sodhi, Wagner, Boult, Patel

Urgh, that's an ugly long tail but it can't be helped. Southee was pretty ineffective on his last trip to the UAE, so despite his strong performance against England last season, it's hard to give him the nod over Wagner - and as previously mentioned my pov is that we've got to go with 2 spinners. Patel has done the hard yards so he gets the job ahead of Somerville, but I do think it's a bit of a missed opportunity not getting Patel to play at least one of the two A tests.

I agree with that lineup. It may change after the first test, but that's what I'd go with initially. I will be quite annoyed if they omit Sodhi even from the first test, which I don't think is impossible given the prevailing conservatism in the leadership. Whether it be for Southee or to catapult Somerville into the XI. Southee perhaps a little unlucky to miss out but needs must.

I think there's a chance CdG scores runs in an attacking innings, and it's an alternative to the grinding methods that Nicholls and Watling above him will use to try to score - I do think there's benefit in having a variety of methods that might have advantages on different days against different attacks. CdG's rubbish form doesn't help, of course. No way I'd risk five bowlers and Southee with the world's worst nosebleeds at 7 though.

 

[NZTailender]

Sodhi is averaging about 50 with the bat there with 144 runs. We'll be fine.

UAE rarely makes sense.

.

 

[Bahnz]

Stead has confirmed that NZ are going in with 2 spinners and 2 quicks plus CdG. He's coy on who the pace-bowlers will be, but the fact that Southee is apparently one of the candidates to captain the side if KW can't play would suggest that he's probably got the inside running.

 

[The Hutt Rec]

They can’t be dropping Wagner though, surely ...

 

[Athlai]

Every winter they forget how good Wagner is. Every single year.

 

[TheBrand]

If Wagner doesn't play I'll be writing a strongly worded letter.

Latham
Raval
KW (c)
Taylor
Nicholls
Watling (wk)
CdG
Sodhi
Wagner
Boult
Ajaz

Oh wait that's what someone said already right?

Weird that Southee would be captain if KW couldn't play for whatever reason. Last test KW missed due to illness in India, Taylor was the captain I think. Would have thought him or Latham would be the next in line.

 

[Bahnz]

Weird that Southee would be captain if KW couldn't play for whatever reason. Last test KW missed due to illness in India, Taylor was the captain I think. Would have thought him or Latham would be the next in line.

Latham and Southee are apparently considered the two leading candidates for captaincy in the event that Kane can't play.

 

[Moss]

Every winter they forget how good Wagner is. Every single year.

Would definitely want Wagner to be playing, but will be interesting to see how he adapts here on slow and low pitches. The India tour 2 years ago was probably the one time he seemed to be struggling to rise above the conditions. I'm sure he'll find a way.

 

[Flem274*]

if they omit wagner for the likes of sodhi and ajaz then they're beyond help. pakistan will be fizzing at the bung to see them play.

 

[SteveNZ]

If Southee plays over Wagner it'll confirm he has far too much power in the context of this team. There couldn't be a soul in the world who mount an argument for Southee over Wags on dry pitches, or really anything but humid green seamers.

But Stead probably isn't ready to make that call and walk the plank a month in.

 

[Athlai]

I'd squeeze Southee in there, but I did sell my soul around 2012.

 

[Prince EWS]

I'd play Southee if Santner or Astle were fit as you could drop CdG instead, but the spinners in the squad would mean Southee or Sodhi would be at seven with that balance and that'd be ridiculous. Southee's gotta miss out IMO, but it'll be Wagner.