***Official*** Pakistan in Australia 2023/24

[Burgey]

I just looked at Masood’s numbers and they’re pretty ordinary to put it mildly. Is he a guy who’s seen to have got better at FC level recently or is he like a James Vince sort of bloke who looks like he should make test runs, plays some really good shots and then gets out?

 

[Burgey]

That is a horrible decision from Illingworth. Frankly a sackable one.

I think Starc barely heard it either tbf but there looked a decent deflection

 

[ataraxia]

That is a horrible decision from Illingworth. Frankly a sackable one.

I think calling faint edges is just coin-flip stuff; you either hear it or you don't. It's different to lbws IMO, which are more the test of a good umpire.

 

[King Kane]

A dicey time now for Pakistan before stumps with the nightwatchman sent in.

 

[morgieb]

I just looked at Masood’s numbers and they’re pretty ordinary to put it mildly. Is he a guy who’s seen to have got better at FC level recently or is he like a James Vince sort of bloke who looks like he should make test runs, plays some really good shots and then gets out?

Both. Has done well in county cricket but mostly in Division 2 from memory, but his FC numbers while solid aren't spectacular.

 

[Burgey]

I think calling faint edges is just coin-flip stuff; you either hear it or you don't. It's different to lbws IMO, which are more the test of a good umpire.

Yeah when you’ve got a crowd making any sort of noise and if there’s a breeze as well they can be pretty hard to pick up

 

[ashley bach]

Hogging the strike, exactly what the night-watchman should do.

 

[Nintendo]

I just looked at Masood’s numbers and they’re pretty ordinary to put it mildly. Is he a guy who’s seen to have got better at FC level recently or is he like a James Vince sort of bloke who looks like he should make test runs, plays some really good shots and then gets out?

Bit of both. Always underperformed at international's relative to domestic, but he's been phenomenal in domestic white ball stuff in pak and in the county stuff in england recently, also got a fast double ton in the tour game vs Aus-A (pitch was a slow road with a ****ed outfield, scoring quick on it was near impossible for everyone else).

 

[Molehill]

Yeah when you’ve got a crowd making any sort of noise and if there’s a breeze as well they can be pretty hard to pick up

Doesn't look like there's much of a crowd there though.

Just out of interest, how often do stadiums like this actually fill up? Is it only Aussie Rules?

 

[Burgey]

Bit of both. Always underperformed at international's relative to domestic, but he's been phenomenal in domestic white ball stuff in pak and in the county stuff in england recently, also got a fast double ton in the tour game vs Aus-A (pitch was a slow road with a ****ed outfield, scoring quick on it was near impossible for everyone else).

Both. Has done well in county cricket but mostly in Division 2 from memory, but his FC numbers while solid aren't spectacular.

I find these sort of guys probably the most frustrating in cricket tbh.

 

[morgieb]

Doesn't look like there's much of a crowd there though.

Just out of interest, how often do stadiums like this actually fill up? Is it only Aussie Rules?

Yeah think Perth has only really filled up for AFL.

Adelaide and Sydney can get legitimately excellent crowds from time to time but the opposition has to be right. MCG is almost always too big for cricket barring the biggest of matches.

 

[Nintendo]

Doesn't look like there's much of a crowd there though.

Just out of interest, how often do stadiums like this actually fill up? Is it only Aussie Rules?

They've got 18,000 in today according to cricinfo. That's not THAT bad. Opening days of the west indies test last summer in perth had way worse numbers from memory.

 

[Burgey]

Doesn't look like there's much of a crowd there though.

Just out of interest, how often do stadiums like this actually fill up? Is it only Aussie Rules?

Yeah Ashes and AFL in Perth. Maybe the odd rah rah test match too.
17k or so there today, which for Perth in recent years is not terrible tbh, especially on a week day.

I think a few people came in late on their way back from the beach or the shops

 

[ataraxia]

This Shahzad guy is an international cricketer technically.

 

[Molehill]

Yeah Ashes and AFL in Perth. Maybe the odd rah rah test match too.
17k or so there today, which for Perth in recent years is not terrible tbh, especially on a week day.

I think a few people came in late on their way back from the beach or the shops

Yeah, I guessed the crowd wouldn't be too bad, it just looks bad given the size of the stadium.

It's like 3/4 full Edgbaston. Trouble is, it's hard to create an atmosphere when everyone is so spaced out.

 

[morgieb]

Kudos to Pakistan, think at least half the Test sides in the world would've folded there. At least it's competitive now.

 

[morgieb]

Yeah, I guessed the crowd wouldn't be too bad, it just looks bad given the size of the stadium.

It's like 3/4 full Edgbaston. Trouble is, it's hard to create an atmosphere when everyone is so spaced out.

Yeah I wouldn't play Test cricket here generally unless the oppo was a marquee one. Everywhere else doesn't have a second boutique stadium though.

 

[Nintendo]

Has marsh made any technical changes between his last test appearance and the recent golden run that can account for the swap in form or is it just mentality? I know he got good in t20I and ODI around the same time, but it just feels weird seeing a guy who was one of the worst top 6 batsmen in the history of the game suddenly start creaming them everywhere.

TBF, from memory marsh did have a similiar run in test's just before sand paper gate where he got those two 100's vs england in AUS and started the series vs SA well. Maybe this is all just circumstances and hey'll regress back to beta mode soon. White ball form makes me want to think otherwise but IDK.

 

[Burgey]

Has marsh made any technical changes between his last test appearance and the recent golden run that can account for the swap in form or is it just mentality? I know he got good in t20I and ODI around the same time, but it just feels weird seeing a guy who was one of the worst top 6 batsmen in the history of the game suddenly start creaming them everywhere.

TBF, from memory marsh did have a similiar run in test's just before sand paper gate where he got those two 100's vs england in AUS and started the series vs SA well. Maybe this is all just circumstances and hey'll regress back to beta mode soon. White ball form makes me want to think otherwise but IDK.

I dunno, I still don’t think he has a functional forward defence. Think maybe 90% of it is mental, which makes sense given 90% of the game is played between your ears

 

[King Kane]

Shahzad did a good job as the nightwatchman,, saved Babar from going out there for a tough last few overs.

Pakistan probably won't win this test but they might have a chance of getting a draw or at least taking it into the 5th day.

Yeah Ashes and AFL in Perth. Maybe the odd rah rah test match too.
17k or so there today, which for Perth in recent years is not terrible tbh, especially on a week day.

I think a few people came in late on their way back from the beach or the shops

They get big crowds in Perth for the Scorchers home games, better crowds than they get for test matches apart from the Ashes.