***Official*** England in Pakistan

[social]

Thanks for making me deposit coffee onto my laptop.

Look at their records.

The world does not revolve around the Ashes.

 

[Barney Rubble]

No apparent flaws except that he doesnt move his feet to any bowlers and has shown poor shot selection.

Make or break winter for him but Im tipping Kumble, Harby, Kaneria (a very fine bowler), Afridi (challenging Flintoff as the world's best all-rounder) and Shoaib will prove to be another bridge too far.

No comments on Jones?

Doesn't move his feet to any bowlers, poor shot selection - didn't they say that about Hayden, Gilchrist, Graeme Smith and Trescothick when they started out? I know Bell is a different type of player, but compare him to Mike Atherton and tell me how many differences you see - not a fat lot I'd wager.

As for Jones, he is improving - slowly, but he is improving. Prior is actually a marginally better keeper, but a marginally worse batsman, Read a much better keeper but a much worse batsman. He is the best option, as much as I have slated him in the past.

 

[open365]

social,the England team play for each other.

they back Jones more than the selectors do and when he drops a catch,the team doesn't turn against him like the media do.the bowlers are not so selfish to want another wickie just because he makes they're bowling average a bit higher.

and rember,one of the best players who ever players never scored a 100 for 27 innings but the selectors stayed with him and it eventually payed of when he made 365 in his 28th.

 

[Barney Rubble]

social,the England team play for each other.

they back Jones more than the selectors do and when he drops a catch,the team doesn't turn against him like the media do.the bowlers are not so selfish to want another wickie just because he makes they're bowling average a bit higher.

and rember,one of the best players who ever players never scored a 100 for 27 innings but the selectors stayed with him and it eventually payed of when he made 365 in his 28th.

Well said.

 

[PY]

Look at their records.

The world does not revolve around the Ashes.

How about a summer against South Africa, a winter against South Africa, a spring against West Indies, a summer against New Zealand and a summer against West Indies?

I can't see it to be honest, the fact that Freddie's averages are both going in the right direction after an appalling start must count for something also.

 

[Barney Rubble]

How about a summer against South Africa, a winter against South Africa, a spring against West Indies, a summer against New Zealand and a summer against West Indies?

I can't see it to be honest, the fact that Freddie's averages are both going in the right direction after an appalling start must count for something also.

Not to mention the fact that whilst also being one of the world's best and most dependable bowlers, Flintoff has begun to bat like a true world-class batsman should, without losing his ability to hit big; coupled with the fact that Afridi's bowling wouldn't get him into his own national side with Kaneria there, and I consider Matthew Hoggard's batting more reliable, and you get a distinctly not-world-class all-rounder.

But that's neither here nor there.

 

[Sanz]

If Akhtar is fit and plays to his potential, I dont see England winning either series comfortably in Pakistan. Pakistan team is underrated, their young players are improving very fast.

England take the test series, Pakistani win the ODIs

 

[open365]

akkthar won't faze many England players IMO.

strauss most likely but tres will do fine and so will the others.

 

[Pothas]

If Akhtar is fit and plays to his potential, I dont see England winning either series comfortably in Pakistan. Pakistan team is underrated, their young players are improving very fast.

England take the test series, Pakistani win the ODIs

But what are the chances that he will be fit and playing to his potential? i would probably agree with your predictions though, england to win the test series 2-1

 

[Sanz]

But what are the chances that he will be fit and playing to his potential? i would probably agree with your predictions though, england to win the test series 2-1

Well even if he is not; Razzaq, Afridi, Shabir, Sami, Kaneria & Gul (if fit, which he is right now) form a pretty decent attack. Besides what happens If Jones breaks down midway through the series. Would you still maintain a 2-1 in England's favor ? I wouldn't.

 

[godofcricket]

But what are the chances that he will be fit and playing to his potential? i would probably agree with your predictions though, england to win the test series 2-1

I think shoaib will really have a go against england as he would want to prove himself again.......he shouldnt be the only bowler who should be highlighted as shabbir and specially Rana have been performing well, these 2 play a very important role........thats why i say it wont be as easy as some people think, it will be a tough series.

 

[aussie]

Look at their records.

The world does not revolve around the Ashes.

ahh dont worry with that their is no way Afridi can challenge Freddie to be the best all-rounder in (Test) but in ODI he could.

 

[luckyeddie]

england are still my home team so i'll support them.....

Scab

 

[luckyeddie]

If Akhtar is fit and plays to his potential, I dont see England winning either series comfortably in Pakistan. Pakistan team is underrated, their young players are improving very fast.

England take the test series, Pakistani win the ODIs

I'd probably agree with that, but it depends.

Isn't it time that Javed Miandad took over as manager again? There's an 'R' in the month.

 

[luckyeddie]

Look at their records.

The world does not revolve around the Ashes.

Mine has done for the last 40 years. I hope it does for another 40.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Mine has done for the last 40 years. I hope it does for another 40.

I guess that means you're getting incinerated and stuck in an urn yourself then when old age gets the better of you in 10 years or so...

 

[social]

social,the England team play for each other.

they back Jones more than the selectors do and when he drops a catch,the team doesn't turn against him like the media do.the bowlers are not so selfish to want another wickie just because he makes they're bowling average a bit higher.

and rember,one of the best players who ever players never scored a 100 for 27 innings but the selectors stayed with him and it eventually payed of when he made 365 in his 28th.

The team is hardly going to publicly criticise Jones but the fact remains that he is a sub-standard w/k and, as such, his batting contributions are somewhat negated. If you subtracted the runs that his keeping errors (or for that matter, KP's dropped catches) have cost the team, I think you'd find that his contribution this summer has been minimal.

And please do not compare Bell or Jones to Garry Sobers.

Bell might go on to have a successful career for England but at the moment he is out of his depth at no. 4 in test cricket.

 

[social]

How about a summer against South Africa, a winter against South Africa, a spring against West Indies, a summer against New Zealand and a summer against West Indies?

I can't see it to be honest, the fact that Freddie's averages are both going in the right direction after an appalling start must count for something also.

As are Afridi's.

Like Freddie, he has only recently learnt how to bowl at test level and he averages about the same with the bat, despite giving his wicket away on 99% of occasions.

 

[twctopcat]

If Akhtar is fit and plays to his potential, I dont see England winning either series comfortably in Pakistan.

That's a pretty big if. Has he ever had a series where he hasn't gone off form/broken down??? He won't be enough on his own however. The only men that can win a test series on their own bowling are Warne and Murali.

 

[honestbharani]

Bell won't be dropped. The selectors have given more than one indication that they are willing to give him as much time as it takes for him to adjust to Test cricket, because they believe he is England's next Graham Thorpe or Mike Atherton - and I'm inclined to agree with them.

Anyway, as I've pretty much already said, once you've faced Warne on top of his game for 5 Tests, Kaneria and Afridi are going to be child's play. Once Bell finds out he doesn't have to worry about reading the slider he'll be so elated he'll smash a 40-ball century.

The pitches might make it a man's job, though.