***Official*** England in Pakistan

[steds]

2moro

Urgh! Can't stand text spelling.

 

[Scaly piscine]

yea obviously, because he anchors the whole batting of pakistan.

its like if england go 2moro without trescothik, it would be hard to gain a reasonable result as you know tresco can guarantee alot of runs per innings.

Yea I'm sure Inzi would have been guaranteed an extra 277 runs more than his replacement so they could have just edged past WI in that first Test.

 

[Fusion]

Yea I'm sure Inzi would have been guaranteed an extra 277 runs more than his replacement so they could have just edged past WI in that first Test.

That's an overly-simplistic way of looking at it isn't it? I'm sure you realize that missing your Captain and batting anchor has a much larger cumulative effect than just missing one player? It puts the other batsman and the entire team under pressure. Now, to Pakistan's discredit, they didn't rise above the pressure. But that doesn't mean that Inzi's absence of insignificant. Many of this board and writers at Cricinfo have shown how important Inzi is to the Pakistani line-up. In short, when he performs big, Pakistan usually win. I think you realize all of this, but are stubbornly sticking to your point that Inzi's difference didn't make a difference

 

[tooextracool]

Really?

Youre simply dismissing the skill and temperament factor.

The reason why Murali, Warne, McGrath, Walsh, Imran, etc get so many wickets under so many conditions is because they have the skill and mind-set that doesnt allow the conditions to beat them.

nope, what you dont realise is that they have the skill and the mindset to succeed in almost every favorable or relatively unfavorable conditions. No pace bowler can get quality players out by simply being accurate while lacking penetration in conditions that are completely in favor of the batsmen.

Giles is good when conditions suit him. I say, so what?

The true test comes when not everything is in your favour.

err yes but so what? who here has called giles anything above average?
point is that out of giles, harmison, flintoff, udal and everyone else in pakistan, Giles will almost certainly be Englands best bowler. whether or not he struggled in one series against australia does not change the fact that hes better than any other bowler in england in favorable conditions.

 

[tooextracool]

So youre trying to tell me that Colly/Tremlett/etc couldnt have taken 10 wickets @ 50 in the Ashes?

Vaughan could have done the same job!

really? so they would all have dismissed every one of australias top order batsmen then? what you conveniently forget from the Ashes is that while Giles didnt have a particularly good time against warne and brett lee he caused plenty of problems for Australias top order, even if he wasnt anything brilliant. His figures were often ruined by Shane Warne taking him to the cleaners.
and honestly do you believe Tremlett, Collingwood and Vaughan can average 24 with 17 wickets in pakistan? or ever take a 5 wicket haul in india? not even if they tried.

 

[tooextracool]

No, what I've been trying to say forever is that a no. of people could have done the same job, and probably a whole lot better!

Winning the Ashes does not excuse the fact that Giles bowled poorly.

and having a poor ashes series does not change the fact that hes been one of our best bowlers in the subcontinent in the last decade.

 

[tooextracool]

We can discuss isolated performances all you like, but 10 or so @ 50 doesnt lie!

absolutely 100% correct. and while your at it, you might also tell us about how rubbish that Shane Warne was after he took 10 wickets at exactly 50 on his tour to India in 2000/01

 

[open365]

This is becoming a very hard series to predict.

If Pakistan don't play near their best,i don't see them winning anthing,even if England under-perform.

I reckon the overall quaility of cricket won't be that great but the matches will be very close.

 

[social]

absolutely 100% correct. and while your at it, you might also tell us about how rubbish that Shane Warne was after he took 10 wickets at exactly 50 on his tour to India in 2000/01[/QUOT

Atypical vs typical

 

[social]

OK, head on the line time.

My prediction is 1-1. This is going to be an exceptionally difficult series for England, and I reckon that they are certain to play two spinners tomorrow. Conversely, it's the seam bowlers that will hold the key, certainly when it comes to the use of the new ball during the second and third tests. This early morning dew/mist malarkey could mean that they are good tosses to lose.

On paper, the sides look very evenly matched (but then again I said that about the Ashes, so what do I know?). It'll be interesting to see how the born-again Shoaib goes.

Shoaib was incredibly unfit in Aus just weeks ago - basically buggered after 2 overs.

 

[greg]

So youre trying to tell me that Colly/Tremlett/etc couldnt have taken 10 wickets @ 50 in the Ashes?

That seems a fair assessment.

 

[social]

nope, what you dont realise is that they have the skill and the mindset to succeed in almost every favorable or relatively unfavorable conditions. No pace bowler can get quality players out by simply being accurate while lacking penetration in conditions that are completely in favor of the batsmen.

QUOTE]

What ridiculous, circuitous logic.

 

[social]

That seems a fair assessment.

Punt them out of the squad then forever.

 

[greg]

Punt them out of the squad then forever.

In case you hadn't noticed Collingwood is being picked as a specialist batsman these days, so to chuck him out for his bowling would seem a bit harsh...

Anyway, it's our squad and we'll do what we like with it

 

[Shahid Afridi]

are they showing the test match on any other channel apart from sky uk?? also is there any highlights shown?

 

[Barney Rubble]

are they showing the test match on any other channel apart from sky uk?? also is there any highlights shown?

No and no.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Who's doing the 4am shift then? I've got the bacon, eggs and muffins ready.

 

[The Baconator]

Who's doing the 4am shift then? I've got the bacon, eggs and muffins ready.

I won't bother tomorrow, will on Sunday though, I just hope I'm awake enough not to set the alarm off.

 

[chalky]

Alarm clock set for 4am mugs of coffee at the ready.

I agree with those who say it is a very difficult series to predict. Given the record of both teams you would fancy England heavily, however this team is largely unproven on subcontinent pitches. Vaughan's injury not only makes a very inexperienced middle order you also lose a lot in the field without his captaincy.

Saying all that though I still believe England are the stronger team, as Pakistan: Don't have an opener worthy of the name have 1 front line seamer (sami) who averages 47, another (Rana) who averages 76 and then you've got sicknote Akhtar who at the first sign of a flat pitch & big partnership gets a tight hamstring.

Prediction Tests 2-0 England
ODI's Don't care

 

[Shahid Afridi]

ill be on cricinfo for most of the morning