**Official** New Zealand v Pakistan in UAE

[Howsie]

Loving the selection of Watling, he's been in fine form over the winter. Pretty sure Redmond will keep his place in the team for the moment though. Not liking the selection of Tim Southee though, he isn't going to play so why take him? A good couple of weeks in the ND camp before the FC season start would of been better for him imo.

 

[Meridio]

Those lineups people have posted look phenomenally deep in batting - I like it.

Yes - it struck me straight away how deep our batting looks. Thought "Wasn't it only a few weeks' ago that it was paper thin?". Also, with Watling at the top of the order it gives a more balanced top order - they're not all boundary hitters anymore.

 

[S.P. Fleming]

Has anyone here actually seen Watling bat, any comments on technique, ability?

 

[Howsie]

Has anyone here actually seen Watling bat, any comments on technique, ability?

Yea I've seen quite abit of him. His technique is very correct, he looks real good when playing most of his shot's (unlike a few of our players). He's a good driver of the ball, solid coverdrive. He works the ball around really well too.

I wouldn't call him a "big hitter" but he can score fairly quickly. Ton's of ability imo, and has yet to reach it in our domestic cricket.

 

[CricketGuy007]

Pakistan will win this! They are very strong and are most familiar to the conditions in UAE! New Zealand are always a good team but are they good enough to win tournaments and beat the best teams in the world which i do think pakistan in ODI and 20/20 are very strong but very weak in Test Cricket

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Loving the selection of Watling.

I knew it was only a matter of time before those scurrilous cheats from New Zealand started picking South African born players to bolster their weak batting...........shouldn't be allowed.

 

[straw man]

All part of the long term strategy

 

[Flem274*]

I knew it was only a matter of time before those scurrilous cheats from New Zealand started picking South African born players to bolster their weak batting...........shouldn't be allowed.

You do know that unlike Elliott, Wagner, Myburgh and Van Wyk, Watling is pretty much a kiwi? Played for our U19s.

And yes I kow you're just having a wind up.

 

[Polo23]

Pakistan will win this! They are very strong and are most familiar to the conditions in UAE! New Zealand are always a good team but are they good enough to win tournaments and beat the best teams in the world which i do think pakistan in ODI and 20/20 are very strong but very weak in Test Cricket

Someone missed the Champions Trophy.

 

[Hurricane]

Read in the Dominion Post today that Vettori said that Watling will most likely be on the sidelines initially but he hoped that he would push the top order players hard for a position.
It said that Watlings list A SR was only 67.
They said that his play on the A team had impressed and that he also impressed with a good attitude.

Overall I like the team as well - maybe Dan's influence at play.

The Dominion Post also did an article on Wellington club cricket starting - my own club has been demoted from the premier grade.

 

[Blakey]

Someone missed the Champions Trophy.

Dude the BC's were lucky to win any of their games. It was a complete fluke that those teams had off days against against an understrength NZ team. Actually, makes sense thinking about it, that the Pakistani's may have thrown the game. There is simply no way they should have lost to NZ (have I mentioned how understrength the NZ team were?) if they had been playing within the spirit of the game. Not a chance! All hail Pakistan - defenders of honesty.

 

[Athlai]

Dude the BC's were lucky to win any of their games. It was a complete fluke that those teams had off days against against an understrength NZ team. Actually, makes sense thinking about it, that the Pakistani's may have thrown the game. There is simply no way they should have lost to NZ (have I mentioned how understrength the NZ team were?) if they had been playing within the spirit of the game. Not a chance! All hail Pakistan - defenders of honesty.

SO dire.

 

[nightprowler10]

Likely XI for this series.

Imran Nazir
Kamran Akmal+
Umar Akmal
Mohd. Yousuf
Shoaib Malik
Younis Khan*
Shahid Afridi
Umar Gul
Mohd. Aamir
Saeed Ajmal
Mohd. Asif

Presuming YK retains captaincy of course. This is my preferred order tbh. I think this is a great opportunity to try UA out at three and give him a chance to really show what he's worth. I also think going in without Asif against the Kiwis would be a mistake. I would prefer to try someone else in the middle order as well instead of YK, but I can't see that happening in the current climate. Gul could be replaced with Naved if Asif/Aamir open the bowling though here I'd prefer Talha to be given another chance.

 

[GGG]

Dude the BC's were lucky to win any of their games. It was a complete fluke that those teams had off days against against an understrength NZ team. Actually, makes sense thinking about it, that the Pakistani's may have thrown the game. There is simply no way they should have lost to NZ (have I mentioned how understrength the NZ team were?) if they had been playing within the spirit of the game. Not a chance! All hail Pakistan - defenders of honesty.

Listen to radio sports much?

 

[Flem274*]

Blakey was kidding.

 

[Blakey]

Blakey was kidding.

Thank you. Finally someone gets it.

 

[Blakey]

Listen to radio sports much?

No. Much. In London. Much.

Much much.

 

[Athlai]

Winding up the Pakistani fans who for the most part have been very good is dire.

 

[Blakey]

Winding up the Pakistani fans who for the most part have been very good is dire.

Supporting two massively underperforming NZ crickets blindly = dire.

Knowingly supporting two massively underperforming NZ cricketers, one of which will hardly get a game for wellington because he is dire, and whos claim to fame was one spectacular catch and sharing the same last night as a former NZ tweaker = even more dire.

 

[Athlai]

Supporting two massively underperforming NZ crickets blindly = dire.

Knowingly supporting two massively underperforming NZ cricketers, one of which will hardly get a game for wellington because he is dire, and whos claim to fame was one spectacular catch and sharing the same last night as a former NZ tweaker = even more dire.

Top bloke.