***Official*** England in Pakistan

[wahindiawah]

. Plus its a bit odd that Pakistan have called up Asif when they have Umar Gul?

He got ten wkts against England in the three day match and is doing well at domestic level, so i guess he deserve selection.

 

[Beleg]

Sami bowled well in Faisalabad?


Do pigs fly?

 

[aussie]

i dont know, i reckon Giles & Udal have been equally untreating in this series due to the lack of assistance they have gotten from the pitches. I would retain Giles & i expect the england selectors to do the same.

 

[GladiatrsInBlue]

i dont know, i reckon Giles & Udal have been equally untreating in this series due to the lack of assistance they have gotten from the pitches. I would retain Giles & i expect the england selectors to do the same.

I would go for Giles unless he's unfit ( there are some reports that suggest that he would not be able to play in third test match).

If the wkt in Lahore takes turn, then Giles can cause problems to Pak batsmen , esp in fourth innings .

 

[What-A-Player]

I would go for Giles unless he's unfit ( there are some reports that suggest that he would not be able to play in third test match).

If the wkt in Lahore takes turn, then Giles can cause problems to Pak batsmen , esp in fourth innings .

..that has to to be the statement of the year

and also, Lahore Wicket Turning?

 

[grecian]

We've got to win this match (duh), so my team would be

Vaughn
Trescothick
Bell
Pietersen
Loudon
Flintoff
Jones
Giles
Hoggard
Harmison
Anderson

I know hardly anyone has seen Loudon bowl, but that means the Pakistani batsmen won't have either. If he does indeed posess a "doosra", as suggested, who knows he could be our trump-card. After all the conventional spinners aren't getting it done. Anderson, because he does take wicket-taking balls, and he'd take the pressure off Freddie, who could then just bowl fast.

 

[Barney Rubble]

We've got to win this match (duh), so my team would be

Vaughn
Trescothick
Bell
Pietersen
Loudon
Flintoff
Jones
Giles
Hoggard
Harmison
Anderson

I know hardly anyone has seen Loudon bowl, but that means the Pakistani batsmen won't have either. If he does indeed posess a "doosra", as suggested, who knows he could be our trump-card. After all the conventional spinners aren't getting it done. Anderson, because he does take wicket-taking balls, and he'd take the pressure off Freddie, who could then just bowl fast.

Alex Loudon should not be allowed anywhere near the Test side just yet. He's there for the experience. And Fletch has already indicated that two spinners isn't going to be the case for Lahore. My side would be:

1. Trescothick
2. Cook
3. Vaughan
4. Bell
5. Pietersen
6. Flintoff
7. Jones
8. Giles
9. Plunkett
10. Hoggard
11. Harmison

But I think the actual side will be:

1. Trescothick
2. Vaughan
3. Bell
4. Pietersen
5. Collingwood
6. Flintoff
7. Jones
8. Giles
9. Hoggard
10. Harmison
11. Anderson

Also, very interestingly, apparently Alastair Cook is the 3rd-choice option for England to open at Lahore - with Vaughan being the most likely, and the second most likely being Ian Bell. I'd be interested to see how he did as an opener, seeing as he bears a striking resemblance to one MA Atherton. Might be the find of the series - let Strauss drop to 4 and we've no longer got the supposedly "shaky" middle-order that a lot of people seem to think we have. Not that it actually is shaky now, of course - seeing as our numbers 3, 4, 5, and 6 have Test averages of 43.08, 45.66, 49.15 and 32.98 respectively - but that's another discussion.

 

[greg]

We've got to win this match (duh), so my team would be

Vaughn
Trescothick
Bell
Pietersen
Loudon
Flintoff
Jones
Giles
Hoggard
Harmison
Anderson

I know hardly anyone has seen Loudon bowl, but that means the Pakistani batsmen won't have either. If he does indeed posess a "doosra", as suggested, who knows he could be our trump-card. After all the conventional spinners aren't getting it done. Anderson, because he does take wicket-taking balls, and he'd take the pressure off Freddie, who could then just bowl fast.

Isn't the whole value of a 'doosra' supposed to be that the ball turns the opposite way to which the batsman is expecting. Seeing as Loudon doesn't turn his offspinner it's effect is presumably somewhat nullified in his case

 

[Neil Pickup]

Our middle order's shaky becaue it's so all-or-nothing, not 'cos it's not got the potential to blow you away!

 

[aussie]

..that has to to be the statement of the year

and also, Lahore Wicket Turning?

well the last time England were in pakistan he did cause them problems on turning tracks.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Our middle order's shaky becaue it's so all-or-nothing, not 'cos it's not got the potential to blow you away!

Collingwood's not all-or-nothing.

 

[aussie]

Our middle order's shaky becaue it's so all-or-nothing, not 'cos it's not got the potential to blow you away!

yes well said, thats why it would be good if Cook were to play & impress & it would bring a great case to have Strauss in the middle order thus giving england a more solid look in their rather than that ``all-or nothing look that you have rightfully described.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Collingwood's not all-or-nothing.

With Collngwood in it's shaky 'cos he's not very good.

 

[grecian]

Isn't the whole value of a 'doosra' supposed to be that the ball turns the opposite way to which the batsman is expecting. Seeing as Loudon doesn't turn his offspinner it's effect is presumably somewhat nullified in his case

Good point, but the English management have picked Loudon, so they must see something in him. I'm really thinking he'd be picked primarily as a batsman, and get through about 10 overs an innings, if its turning. Is it anymore of a risk then playing Cook, when he hasn't played a game on tour, or resorting to Collingwood again? His first-class batting figures aren't great, but neither was Trescothicks or Vaughns when they started playing for England.

 

[marc71178]

For the most part, it was an exceptionally mature, restrained (and lucky) knock, but his eyes definitely lit up when Shoaib came on for that second spell.

The thing was the radio commentators called it 10 overs before it happened.

 

[marc71178]

Looks like Inzi might just have been compensated for his first innings dismissal. He came very close to being out LBW here.

I'd have thought the earlier calls in his first innings compensated for the run out to be honest...

 

[Barney Rubble]

With Collngwood in it's shaky 'cos he's not very good.

My implication was that with Collingwood, you just get nothing.

 

[Phil Taylor]

I'd have thought the earlier calls in his first innings compensated for the run out to be honest...

No, those compensated for Trescothicks LBW let off in the first test.

 

[marc71178]

yea thats true, Vaughan & Tres have bowled him way too much overs in this series & even in the ashes he bowled the most overs in the series. They really have to think about how they bowl Freddie especially on these sub-continent pitches because has you rightfully said he may well & break down & England will lose their best bowler which will mess up their balance...

That's all well and good, but looking at it objectively, he is the best bowler England possess by a long distance, so we do have to use him.

 

[marc71178]

England not interested in taking the new ball even when due and tailenders in because they DONT want Pakistan all out and have to bat !!

From watching it (at last my working away had a big benefit!) - I'd say the bowlers thought that the old ball was doing enough to tell Vaughan that they didn't want the new one.