***Official*** Pakistan in Australia 2023/24

[Spark]

Smith
Head
Labuschagne
Green
McSweeney
Marsh

Wouldn't mind seeing a top 6 like this when Warner/Uzzy are gone

The openers are obviously the sticking point, I'm not sure who should be in those 2 spots (could be anyone really) but I just don't think there are any proper openers around that would do better than any 2 of these guys

More and more I want to see Smith moved to open. He's batting like a stodge anyway and looks like he needs a change to reinvigorate his game. Might help his mental focus too.

I honestly don't think this would work at all but I also think it would be really interesting if it did so I'm willing to give it a shot on that basis alone

 

[Gob]

Qlder will fit in nicely in the combox alongside Isha and Harsha

 

[Spark]

Oh yay another innumerate discussion about ball-tracking on Fox. No, Isa, the laws of physics do not vary based on the nature of the pitch.

 

[honestbharani]

Whenever Australia play attritional cricket with the bat they fall apart

TBF the only test wins they have had in India in this time was through attritional cricket. I would say even the Adelaide test they won last BG was through attritional batting.

 

[Prince EWS]

This should be Sajid's last Test.

 

[Starfighter]

Sajid is displaying Dilruwan Perera levels of ineffectiveness here.

 

[Spark]

TBF the only test wins they have had in India in this time was through attritional cricket. I would say even the Adelaide test they won last BG was through attritional batting.

In India that's absolutely fine. In Australia it's a recipe for disaster, and in particular it's gotten us into constant trouble against your lot in particular.

 

[Burgey]

I honestly don't think so for Smith and Marnus, I think those two are too stubborn to be told what to do and are doing this out of their own initiative. Smith especially.

Smith looks like he’s got a mental block. Hes making plenty of start and then freezing up between 30-50z im sure he’ll snap out of it but he said himself he thinks about not getting out at times. That mindset just bogs you down so badly. Hes still facing bulk balls and looking comfortable.c he’s just not scoring any runs off them. He’s patting back half volleys ffs

 

[Spark]

Smith looks like he’s got a mental block. Hes making plenty of start and then freezing up between 30-50z im sure he’ll snap out of it but he said himself he thinks about not getting out at times. That mindset just bogs you down so badly. Hes still facing bulk balls and looking comfortable.c he’s just not scoring any runs off them. He’s patting back half volleys ffs

Yep. We've complained a lot about his technique in the last six months and missing straight balls and his hand injury and what not but all that pales in comparison to his mindset. It's just so lame. There is absolutely no reason he can't be punishing some of these fuller balls that Carey and Marsh have capitalised on in this last hour, then the bowlers shorten his length and he pick up all those singles he thrives off. It's what he did so well at his peak.

 

[Starfighter]

Smith looks like he’s got a mental block. Hes making plenty of start and then freezing up between 30-50z im sure he’ll snap out of it but he said himself he thinks about not getting out at times. That mindset just bogs you down so badly. Hes still facing bulk balls and looking comfortable.c he’s just not scoring any runs off them. He’s patting back half volleys ffs

He's not freezing up between 30 and 50. It's taking ages just for him to reach double figures these days - precisely due to that patting back of half volleys etc. Nor is he looking comfortable - in his Melbourne innings he played like a cat on a hotplate.

I think I first noticed the lack of scoring at Adelaide against India, when Ashwin bowled quite a few blatant long hops and he just tapped them back down the pitch. Did make me wonder if he's not judging length as well, but he can still play the pull perfectly fine when he chooses to so it's not that.

 

[Spark]

He's not freezing up between 30 and 50. It's taking ages just for him to reach double figures these days - precisely due to that patting back of half volleys etc. Nor is he looking comfortable - in his Melbourne innings he played like a cat on a hotplate.

Nah a lot of the time what will happen is that he'll get to 20 at a good clip and then just stop. He looked terrible in Melbourne but he looked fine today, just incredibly passive until he suddenly realised his job is to score runs, not survive, and hit one in the air.

 

[Spark]

If he wasn't judging length well then he'd be getting out for single digit scores all the time and we'd be having an entirely different conversation. Don't buy that that's the issue at all, that would be absolute core batting ability falling off a cliff in that case.

 

[Gob]

Yep. We've complained a lot about his technique in the last six months and missing straight balls and his hand injury and what not but all that pales in comparison to his mindset. It's just so lame. There is absolutely no reason he can't be punishing some of these fuller balls that Carey and Marsh have capitalised on in this last hour, then the bowlers shorten his length and he pick up all those singles he thrives off. It's what he did so well at his peak.

Its not that long ago he stroked that flawlessly fluent ton at Lords and looked million dollars at the oval tbh.

and the WTC ton before that

 

[Spark]

Its not that long ago he stroked that flawlessly fluent ton at Lords and looked million dollars at the oval tbh.

Yes, which is why I think he can still do it, and most of his problem is mindset and concentration.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Nah a lot of the time what will happen is that he'll get to 20 at a good clip and then just stop.

He sort of used to do that a bit even when he was at his best tbf

Would get to 20 (15) and then slow right down and end up 50 (80), and 100 (180)

Difference is now he slows down even more and then gets out

 

[Spark]

He sort of used to do that a bit even when he was at his best tbf

Would get to 20 (15) and then slow right down and end up 50 (80), and 100 (180)

Difference is now he slows down even more and then gets out

Hell of a difference between slowing to 50 (80) and slowing to 40 (120). Catchers will still be in, singles will be blocked off, captains can set whatever plan they like etc

 

[honestbharani]

I think Smith has the Kallis problem. He is worried he will get out cheaply playing shots upfront.

 

[Spark]

I think Smith has the Kallis problem. He is worried he will get out cheaply playing shots upfront.

With the irony that Kallis actually loosened up at the end and looked a million dollars doing so.

I actually have no issue with him starting slowly tbh. That's fine, that's normal. Slowing when you've been there three hours and are already 30+ is an entirely different matter.

 

[Starfighter]

Pakistan are seriously missing a faster bowler here. Jamal is bowling low 130s, the other two slower. And no, I don't buy that Shaheen would be any better.

Oh, and a competent spinner - I'd have given the ball straight to Salman over Sajid.

 

[Starfighter]

Just as I saved that Sajid bowls Carey