***Official*** England in Pakistan

[Jamee999]

I'm off to Leicester (the high-life, eh?)

I've heard Leicestershire's quite nice

 

[Scaly piscine]

Agreed - made me chuckle too. Next they'll be calling Collingwood an all-rounder.

/runs away

Well he bowls faster than Cork, but then what do you expect from these soft ex-Derbyshire players...

 

[wpdavid]

If you mean a general marks out of ten for likely impact on the series, then it's probably as follows:

England:
1. ME Trescothick - 9
2. AJ Strauss - 8
3. IR Bell - 5
4. KP Pietersen - 8
5. PD Collingwood - 7
6. A Flintoff - 10
7. GO Jones - 7
8. AF Giles - 8
9. SD Udal - 7
10. MJ Hoggard - 9
11. SJ Harmison - 8

I fear you're probably over-rating the likely influence of our opening bowlers. I'd be amazed if the test conditions remotely favour Hoggard, who will do well to average below 50, I reckon. Likewise Harmison, given his form this year.

Still, you can quote me in a month's time when they've consistently ripped out the top 5.

 

[steds]

Well he bowls faster than Cork, but then what do you expect from these soft ex-Derbyshire players...

Collingwood is only just quicker than Giles

 

[Tom Halsey]

Collingwood is only just quicker than Giles

In all fairness he's 80 mph usually (doesn'y make him good however).

 

[steds]

I fear you're probably over-rating the likely influence of our opening bowlers. I'd be amazed if the test conditions remotely favour Hoggard, who will do well to average below 50, I reckon. Likewise Harmison, given his form this year.

Which is why they will have such an influence, no? Surely whether they let Pakistan get to 80/0 or 50-odd/2 after the first 15 in unhelpful conditions will have a large effect on which way the match swings?

 

[sheerindianspeed]

I think keeping in mind of English's bowling strength Pakistan should play defensive cricket, that way they might be able to avoid a white wash.The best approach would be to occupy the crease as long as possible and to play with an additional batsman.

My Pak team would be,

Malik
Butt
Younis
Youhana
Inzi
Asim
Raza
Akmal
Akhtar
Danish
Shabbir

 

[steds]

I think keeping in mind of English's bowling strength Pakistan should play defensive cricket, that way they might be able to avoid a white wash.

Yeah. They'll be fools if they're not ****ting themselves at the prospect of Giles (no offence to him) and Udal bowling in tandem.

 

[superkingdave]

Agreed - made me chuckle too. Next they'll be calling Collingwood an all-rounder.

/runs away

tbh i thought that was his logic in complaining about the pitch so much, after all, if Collingwood can get a wicket on it, it must be a substandard wicket

 

[PY]

Yeah. They'll be fools if they're not ****ting themselves at the prospect of Giles (no offence to him) and Udal bowling in tandem.

Oi, don't take the mickey with the filter being slightly wrong currently!

 

[GladiatrsInBlue]

tbh i thought that was his logic in complaining about the pitch so much, after all, if Collingwood can get a wicket on it, it must be a substandard wicket

Or mabe it was a case of getting wkts of a substandard batsman!

 

[steds]

Oi, don't take the mickey with the filter being slightly wrong currently!

Ooops. Didn't notice that. What's up wi' the filter, anyway?

 

[Woody_cloudofsm]

If you mean a general marks out of ten for likely impact on the series, then it's probably as follows:

England:
1. ME Trescothick - 9
2. AJ Strauss - 8
3. IR Bell - 5
4. KP Pietersen - 8
5. PD Collingwood - 7
6. A Flintoff - 10
7. GO Jones - 7
8. AF Giles - 8
9. SD Udal - 7
10. MJ Hoggard - 9
11. SJ Harmison - 8

Pakistan:
1. Shoaib Malik - 7
2. Salman Butt - 5
3. Younis Khan - 7
4. Inzamam-Ul-Haq - 9
5. Mohammad Yousuf - 8
6. Asim Kamal - 7
7. Kamran Akmal - 6
8. Mushtaq Ahmed - 8
9. Rana Naved-Ul-Hasan - 7
10. Shoaib Akhtar - 9
11. Danish Kaneria - 9

Very good selections i would agree pretty much with everything there but i think cook may debut ahead of bell unlikely but a possibility, i think if rob key were the replacement hed be playing for sure instead of bell, also i would never levae shahid afridi out of anytime that pakistan picks in any conditions. ud have to fit him in there somewhere, is yasir hameed in the squad??? if so open with him insted of malik and have afridi at 6

 

[nightprowler10]

Very good selections i would agree pretty much with everything there but i think cook may debut ahead of bell unlikely but a possibility, i think if rob key were the replacement hed be playing for sure instead of bell, also i would never levae shahid afridi out of anytime that pakistan picks in any conditions. ud have to fit him in there somewhere, is yasir hameed in the squad??? if so open with him insted of malik and have afridi at 6

Younis Khan has confirmed (can't remember where now) that Malik is going to open the first test along with Salman Butt. I personally would love to see the following Pakistani line-up:

Salman Butt
Shoaib Malik
Younis Khan
Inzamam-ul-Haq
Mohammed Yousef
Asim Kamal
Shahid Afridi
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan
Mohammad Sami
Shoaib Akhtar
Danish Kaneria
Shabbir Ahmed

I don't know whom to leave out of this side. We need four pacers and two spinners, which is what we've got. You can't take out Afridi, since he's a decent spinner and we all know what he can and can't do with the bat. Malik needs to be given more chances in tests, same with Naved. Kaneria is irreplacable. The only one I can think of is Asim Kamal.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Very good selections i would agree pretty much with everything there but i think cook may debut ahead of bell unlikely but a possibility, i think if rob key were the replacement hed be playing for sure instead of bell, also i would never levae shahid afridi out of anytime that pakistan picks in any conditions. ud have to fit him in there somewhere, is yasir hameed in the squad??? if so open with him insted of malik and have afridi at 6

There's next to no way Cook will make a debut within hours of landing in Pakistan. Bell will play - at least the First Test, anyway.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Younis Khan has confirmed (can't remember where now) that Malik is going to open the first test along with Salman Butt. I personally would love to see the following Pakistani line-up:

Salman Butt
Shoaib Malik
Younis Khan
Inzamam-ul-Haq
Mohammed Yousef
Asim Kamal
Shahid Afridi
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan
Mohammad Sami
Shoaib Akhtar
Danish Kaneria
Shabbir Ahmed

I don't know whom to leave out of this side. We need four pacers and two spinners, which is what we've got. You can't take out Afridi, since he's a decent spinner and we all know what he can and can't do with the bat. Malik needs to be given more chances in tests, same with Naved. Kaneria is irreplacable. The only one I can think of is Asim Kamal.

Suggest you leave out Sami, as he's no use whatsoever.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Suggest you leave out Sami, as he's no use whatsoever.

I suggest that England needs all the help they can get.

 

[Barney Rubble]

I suggest that England needs all the help they can get.

Not if Pakistan play this line-up - they don't have a 'keeper.

(Unless I'm being a complete idiot and Asim Kamal does actually keep, but plays as a specialist bat. I've not seen much of him.)

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Not if Pakistan play this line-up - they don't have a 'keeper.

(Unless I'm being a complete idiot and Asim Kamal does actually keep, but plays as a specialist bat. I've not seen much of him.)

Kamran Akmal is the 'keeper, but a lot of people tend to confuse him and Kamal for some reason. How curious...

 

[nightprowler10]

Kamran Akmal is the 'keeper, but a lot of people tend to confuse him and Kamal for some reason. How curious...

I actually keep forgetting Kamran Akmal since I use Younis Khan as keeper in most PC games . So even if I take out Sami and replace him with Akmal, we still have 12 players. Whom to axe??