***Official*** England in Pakistan

[Barney Rubble]

Famous last words...

I'm prepared for the ramifications of that - my confidence in my own judgement is high, having correctly predicted the scoreline of the Ashes.......

There is reason to it, though - if England continue to play with the same intensity they played with in the Ashes (difficult I know, but not impossible - it's a hungry and committed team) then Pakistan, a team known for ego-conflicts and a lack of team spirit (*cough* Shoaib, Inzy.....*cough*) will really struggle to get it together. It will take some superb individual performances for Pakistan to beat England - because as a unit, they're just not in the same league. The reason England's form rose in the first place was because they built up a cohesive team unit - something Pakistan haven't had for a very long time, and something Australia did have, but it still wasn't enough. I can't see the difference in pitches causing England sufficient grief to overcome all the other advantages England have.

 

[howardj]

Yeah, people need to quickly update their view of the Pakistan team. People persist in calling them 'hot and cold' or 'unpredictibly brilliant' etc. But they were only like that when they had Akram, Waqar and Anwar etc. Fact is, they no longer have any more than one or two really decent players. They're not unpredictible or hot and cold - they've become predictibly pretty average.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I think the unpredictablity of Pakistan was characterised in the India series, though. Guys like Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi stood up from pretty much nowhere and turned the series. It's not AS true as it used to be, but for whatever reason it still is true that it's hard to gauge exactly how good Pakistan are, because they tend to play very different cricket at different times.

 

[superkingdave]

My prediction is 1-1, with Trescothick and Khan the top batsmen, and Kaneria and Flintoff the top bowlers.

 

[yohanna]

. The reason England's form rose in the first place was because they built up a cohesive team unit - something Pakistan haven't had for a very long time, and something Australia did have, but it still wasn't enough..

I don't know from where you are getting those ideas from coz that's pure rubbish.Its a fact that under Bob Woolmer Pak has been playing as a team.That has been a case since Pakistan played Australia in onedayers in Australia. Also recently against India, Pakistan managed to drew the series only by playing as a unit, just how well they were playing as a unit can be judge by the fact that the Pakistani team that played against India happened to be the weakest one to have ever played in India (in the absence of 3 front line bowlers).I'm not sure if England would be able to achieve such a result while Playing against India in India if they happen to play without their 3 main bowlers!!

 

[aussie]

How many teams do you refer to as "we" exactly? You were doing it with Australia in the Ashes, now you're doing it with England - is it just whoever's the favourite for the series that's happening at the moment?

nah i'm supporting England because their my home team thats all...

 

[Scaly piscine]

I'm not sure if England would be able to achieve such a result while Playing against India in India if they happen to play without their 3 main bowlers!!

England work hard at making sure their main bowlers don't get injured in the first place. There's only the taff that's injury prone, Harmison and Flintoff used to be but as I said, they've worked hard at this by modifying actions etc.

 

[yohanna]

. Fact is, they no longer have any more than one or two really decent players. They're not unpredictible or hot and cold -

I think players like Inzamam, Younis,Yousuf & Danish are more than decent.

Its fellows like Afridi and Malik who sometimes surprise with their performance and thats make the team a bit unpredictable.

England is far stronger team than Pakistan, but i do think Pakistan will give them a good fight.I expect England to win the first test match comfortably, and then i think Pakistan will come back strongly.

My prediction ...2-0 or 2-1 to England in test series.

Pakistan will win the OD series though

 

[godofcricket]

Its fellows like Afridi and Malik who sometimes surprise with their performance and thats make the team a bit unpredictable.

Comeon, u cant say malik is inconsistent, he has been scoring runs quite consistently for some time now......please dont put him in the same category as afridi.

 

[yohanna]

England work hard at making sure their main bowlers don't get injured in the first place. There's only the taff that's injury prone, Harmison and Flintoff used to be but as I said, they've worked hard at this by modifying actions etc.

So does Pakistan, they are not much different from England it that way. But injuries do happen, like right now 2 English pacers are down and out of Pak series, and there is a possilbility of few missing the Indian series due to Injuy

 

[aussie]

So does Pakistan, they are not much different from England it that way. But injuries do happen, like right now 2 English pacers are down and out of Pak series, and there is a possilbility of few missing the Indian series due to Injuy

2 pacers?, only Jones is injured...

 

[yohanna]

Comeon, u cant say malik is inconsistent, he has been scoring runs quite consistently for some time now......please dont put him in the same category as afridi.

I'm not saying he's inconsistent, all i'm saying that he's underrated. As someone said that Pak has only 1 or 2 decent player, which really is a laugh. I haven't included Malik in my list of decent players, but i have pointed out that players like Malik,Afridi and even Gul can surprise their opponents.

 

[Neil Pickup]

2 pacers?, only Jones is injured...

So's Tremlett... So technically he's right.

 

[Scaly piscine]

So does Pakistan, they are not much different from England it that way. But injuries do happen, like right now 2 English pacers are down and out of Pak series, and there is a possilbility of few missing the Indian series due to Injuy

Err yea, because Shoaib would happily go along with any suggestion about shortening his run-up wouldn't he? One of those 'English pacers' has only been near the setup for a couple of months and he's not a main bowler anyway.

 

[aussie]

So's Tremlett... So technically he's right.

oh yea i forgot about him...

 

[yohanna]

Err yea, because Shoaib would happily go along with any suggestion about shortening his run-up wouldn't he? One of those 'English pacers' has only been near the setup for a couple of months and he's not a main bowler anyway.

Shoaib has problems, everyone knows that, and its not about his long run up, it has more to do with his attitude, also one example doesn't apply to everyone.

I haven't been talking about Akhtar, coz its not even certain if he will play atall.

BTW, who cares if the injured bowlers is a frontline bowler or not, fact remains that even with care the bowlers are getting injured.

Also someone like Harmison is known to suffer from home sickness, and on the tour of Pakistan and India its going to effect him hard, how English management handles that remains to be seen!

 

[Barney Rubble]

I don't know from where you are getting those ideas from coz that's pure rubbish.Its a fact that under Bob Woolmer Pak has been playing as a team.That has been a case since Pakistan played Australia in onedayers in Australia. Also recently against India, Pakistan managed to drew the series only by playing as a unit, just how well they were playing as a unit can be judge by the fact that the Pakistani team that played against India happened to be the weakest one to have ever played in India (in the absence of 3 front line bowlers).I'm not sure if England would be able to achieve such a result while Playing against India in India if they happen to play without their 3 main bowlers!!

Well everyone knows Shoaib and Inzy have the biggest egos in cricket bar Jacques Kallis, so that can't be what you're claiming is "pure rubbish". Pakistan did indeed achieve results in India without 3 main bowlers, that's true, and they did very well to do so - but with Inzy as captain you can guarantee that when the chips are down, he's playing for himself, not the team, as is Shoaib - and when your best batsman and your best bowler are both in it for themselves, it's only a matter of time before the rest of the team follow.

 

[luckyeddie]

Well everyone knows Shoaib and Inzy have the biggest egos in cricket bar Jacques Kallis, so that can't be what you're claiming is "pure rubbish". Pakistan did indeed achieve results in India without 3 main bowlers, that's true, and they did very well to do so - but with Inzy as captain you can guarantee that when the chips are down, he's playing for himself, not the team, as is Shoaib - and when your best batsman and your best bowler are both in it for themselves, it's only a matter of time before the rest of the team follow.

Inzy's playing for lunch

 

[yohanna]

Well everyone knows Shoaib and Inzy have the biggest egos in cricket bar Jacques Kallis, so that can't be what you're claiming is "pure rubbish". Pakistan did indeed achieve results in India without 3 main bowlers, that's true, and they did very well to do so - but with Inzy as captain you can guarantee that when the chips are down, he's playing for himself, not the team, as is Shoaib - and when your best batsman and your best bowler are both in it for themselves, it's only a matter of time before the rest of the team follow.

Everyone knows that Akhtar has been kept out of team coz of his attitude problem (even when he was firt to undertake Wi tour) and PCB and Bob woolmer has made it clear that if Akhtar doesn't does create any problem in future then he won't be part of the team.

Also why Akhtar is being mentioned again and again is beyond me, Bob Woolmer has made it clear that Akhtar will only be considered after they have a close look at his form (and also his keeness to play for Pakistan) over the course of comming two weeks.Its possible that Pakistan might even go without Akhtar in test matches.

Asd far as ur point about Inzi is concerned, its figment of ur imagination, Inzi is a team man and always plays for his team, so does Rana Naveed, Younis Khan, Afridi,Malik and Asim Kamal!

 

[Choora]

Pakistan did indeed achieve results in India without 3 main bowlers, that's true, and they did very well to do so - but with Inzy as captain you can guarantee that when the chips are down, he's playing for himself, not the team, as is Shoaib - and when your best batsman and your best bowler are both in it for themselves, it's only a matter of time before the rest of the team follow.

Fair enough on Shoaib, but had that been the case with Inzi, then Pakistan would have lost both the test series as well as the Onedayers against India after being down & terribly placed at one point, but they fought back thanks to good captaincy and fine team work!

The same thing happened in WI too, when Pakistan came from behind to drew the series.

AS for Shoaib, i think this tests series will be one last chance for him.