*Official* Pakistan in England and Ireland 2016

[91Jmay]

Amir was bloody handy with the bat before he was banned, after watching that today he can obviously still bat so why the hell is he coming in at 10-11 all the time?

It is unclear. Pakistan think Wahab can bat for some reason as well.

 

[vogue]

Headingly tomorrow ... Sooo excited

 

[Adders]

this england team will threaten 500 at some point.

insane power throughout that batting lineup.

the you consider that bairstow can't get in the team and guys like billings and duckett can't even get in the squad. great depth.

I honestly think that the next CT and WC is this teams to lose now.......and I agree, I reckon they will be the first to crack the 500 and I'm tipping it will happen within the next 12 months.

I know we England fans have got excited in the past seeing the occasional run of decent showings from the ODI side, but this is a whole other level. The team that was so slow in "getting" One Day cricket is now setting the benchmark, what this batting lineup has been doing over the last 18 months or so is just crazy good.

I'm not quite sure how I rank our bowling lineup......I mean we certainly don't have a powerhouse like Starc, but I think collectively they are as good as anyone away from the sub cont??

PS,

I fully expect to get canned for this post as lolworthy hyperbole........and tbf it quite possibly is.

 

[Jono]

Actually don't think Pak bowled that poorly the batting by England was out of this world they were smashing near perfect Yorkers at 90 mph for boundaries

This pretty much. All the fans and Pak analysts are blaming the bowling. And this is where it gets so frustrating when talking about LO cricket concerning Pakistan. The thinking of pretty much everyone is outdated. 400+ totals are not a rarity anymore. 350 plus totals are regular. 300+ totals is 50-50.

This goes back to the World Cup game against India when the bowlers were blamed despite bowling quite well overall, especially from 40 overs onwards to restrict them to 300. People need to start using the word 'restrict' when you concede 300.


Oh and this match is also a response to those who were questioning Azhar's decision to bat first in the 2nd ODI.

sorry but the idea that a team broke the all-time score record and the bowling team didn't bowl badly is hard to believe.

 

[Xuhaib]

Azhar Ali as skipper gives me Hashim Amla vibe.

 

[Xuhaib]

sorry but the idea that a team broke the all-time score record and the bowling team didn't bowl badly is hard to believe.

It wsn't breathtaking because it was a flat track the average OD score at Trent Bridge this season is 380 it was on par to what you expect in a 350 runs innings but the power hitting was really crazy hardly any mishits and any time a bowler missed his length slightly went the distance it was not like they were just smashing full tosses or brainless length bowling

 

[Howe_zat]

The bowling performance was decent in the last 5 overs from what I saw, but by then it was obviously far too late. I expect similar could apply to anything after Buttler and Morgan got in.

I think poor bowling and atrocious fielding played a big part in Hales' ton which set up everything else. So we can't say it was through no fault of their own.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

I'm not quite sure how I rank our bowling lineup......I mean we certainly don't have a powerhouse like Starc, but I think collectively they are as good as anyone away from the sub cont??

Chris Woakes to bowl the last over

 

[theegyptian]

I kinda agree with Xuhaib that Pakistan's bowling wasn't too bad on the whole. Wahab bowled rubbish early on and there were too many no balls (which is clearly a terrible problem) but otherwise I wouldn't be too critical. Seamers bowled really nicely at the death in a no win situation.

Their fielding was considerably more at fault and was awful and gives them no chance.

Hales was extremely fortunate to score what he did . Was dropped twice iirc and constantly hit the ball in the air just past fielders, close lbw appeals, played and missed etc. Another less fortunate day and he would have been out 5 times in that innings.

Trent Bridge is a very high scoring ground these days with very small boundaries.

 

[theegyptian]

I honestly think that the next CT and WC is this teams to lose now.......and I agree, I reckon they will be the first to crack the 500 and I'm tipping it will happen within the next 12 months.

I know we England fans have got excited in the past seeing the occasional run of decent showings from the ODI side, but this is a whole other level. The team that was so slow in "getting" One Day cricket is now setting the benchmark, what this batting lineup has been doing over the last 18 months or so is just crazy good.

I'm not quite sure how I rank our bowling lineup......I mean we certainly don't have a powerhouse like Starc, but I think collectively they are as good as anyone away from the sub cont??

PS,

I fully expect to get canned for this post as lolworthy hyperbole........and tbf it quite possibly is.

I'd have them as 3rd favourites behind Aus and Ind for the next world cup. Pakistan are a poor fielding and batting unit so I wouldn't read too much into what is happening right now.

Also teams don't tend to take the 2 or 3 years after a WC particularly seriously. Because England invariably bomb at the WC they tend to take seriously ODIs after the WC and catch opposition teams a little unprepared and not bothered.

3 years is a long time although clearly it's been a very positive 18 months since the last WC.

 

[superkingdave]

Bowling attack still leaves a lot to be desired.

 

[91Jmay]

I honestly think that the next CT and WC is this teams to lose now.......and I agree, I reckon they will be the first to crack the 500 and I'm tipping it will happen within the next 12 months.

I know we England fans have got excited in the past seeing the occasional run of decent showings from the ODI side, but this is a whole other level. The team that was so slow in "getting" One Day cricket is now setting the benchmark, what this batting lineup has been doing over the last 18 months or so is just crazy good.

I'm not quite sure how I rank our bowling lineup......I mean we certainly don't have a powerhouse like Starc, but I think collectively they are as good as anyone away from the sub cont??

PS,

I fully expect to get canned for this post as lolworthy hyperbole........and tbf it quite possibly is.

Not buying this. For all the bluster about our performance over the last 18 months we have still lost to Aus at home, SA away and narrowly beat NZ. The teams we've beaten comfortably are arguably two worst in the world out of the big nations.

It is great to see improvement, and great to be such an entertaining team but end of the day our spin options are average and we have no genuine wicket taker with the ball at the moment.

Good team, but still far behind Aus.

 

[Howe_zat]

Bowling attack still leaves a lot to be desired.

Catching too. We'll see where it goes.

 

[godofcricket]

Yeah and his own thinking is also a product of the 90s. He keeps talking about how openers should try to see off the first 10 overs without losing wickets, how Pak should save wickets till 40th over and then go all out which is basically the template of 92 World Cup, followed to the T in the 99 World Cup under Akram.
He was also against Sarfraz opening in the World Cup 2015 because he didn't have the 'technique' for the 'fast and bouncy' pitches of Australia.


Look I love Wasim more than anyone...but he is not a great analyst of the game, nor is his thinking in line with today's LO cricket. If anything, his thinking reflects the thinking in the Pak think tank as well.

I don't agree with everything he says but I do think Pakistan's approach to ODI is outdated. If they don't come up with new strategies (specifically batting) Pakistan will find themselves in a much bigger hole very soon. I believe the process needs to start now, we don't necessarily need to change the whole batting order but our batsman should know the method or approach to set or chase a certain target, only then can we change the batting order around to see who best fits what role.

 

[Howe_zat]

With those 4 wickets Woakes now has 34 against Pakistan this summer. Pretty stunning effort.

Most wickets against a side touring England

1. Jim Laker 46 v Australia, 1956
2. Alec Bedser 39 v Australia, 1953
2. Ian Botham 39 v Australia, 1981
4. Graeme Swann 37 v Pakistan, 2010
5. Ian Botham 35 v Australia, 1985
6. Chris Woakes 34 v Pakistan, 2016
6. Andrew Flintoff 34 v Australia, 2005
6. Tony Lock 34 v New Zealand, 1958
6. Fred Trueman 34 v West Indies, 1963
6. Bob Willis 34 v Australia, 1981
6. Sydney Barnes 34 v South Africa, 1912

 

[wpdavid]

Most wickets against a side touring England

1. Jim Laker 46 v Australia, 1956
2. Alec Bedser 39 v Australia, 1953
2. Ian Botham 39 v Australia, 1981
4. Graeme Swann 37 v Pakistan, 2010
5. Ian Botham 35 v Australia, 1985
6. Chris Woakes 34 v Pakistan, 2016
6. Andrew Flintoff 34 v Australia, 2005
6. Tony Lock 34 v New Zealand, 1958
6. Fred Trueman 34 v West Indies, 1963
6. Bob Willis 34 v Australia, 1981
6. Sydney Barnes 34 v South Africa, 1912

Numbers 4 and 5 raised eyebrows here.
Swann because my memory of that series was our quicks usually dismissing Pakistan for under 150, and Botham's 1985 effort being when he was on the downwards side of the hill.

 

[ImpatientLime]

swann tied pakistan up in knots in that series.

 

[Howe_zat]

Everyone ruined Pakistan that summer. Swann got a lot of wickets in the limited overs matches as well as averaging about 9 in the tests.

 

[91Jmay]

Hope Woakes can crack 40 in the 3 games left.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Most wickets against a side touring England

1. Jim Laker 46 v Australia, 1956
2. Alec Bedser 39 v Australia, 1953
2. Ian Botham 39 v Australia, 1981
4. Graeme Swann 37 v Pakistan, 2010
5. Ian Botham 35 v Australia, 1985
6. Chris Woakes 34 v Pakistan, 2016
6. Andrew Flintoff 34 v Australia, 2005
6. Tony Lock 34 v New Zealand, 1958
6. Fred Trueman 34 v West Indies, 1963
6. Bob Willis 34 v Australia, 1981
6. Sydney Barnes 34 v South Africa, 1912

Fairly sure that list would look different if the pre-ODI players were allowed to count their wickets for their county against the tourists. (E.g. Laker jumps to 63)