***Official*** Pakistan in England

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Harmison at Old Trafford?

The difference being that Harmison has bowled a lot of rubbish aside from that one match. He's bowled well in patches without luck, but he's been woefully ineffective for the most part. Asif, luckily, doesn't have the opportunity to have an off-match or three. He may, however, have an off-innings the second time around.

Harmison's heroics may have been the best fast bowling performance of the series to date, but Asif could still emerge as the best fast bowler on display IMO.

 

[Xuhaib]

Not sure why Rana Naved would be an automatic selection ahead of Gul. He has a terrible Test record. Yes, he's performed in county cricket, but so has Sajid Mahmood.

Gul was really struggling since his return from injury and there was comman belief before this series that Pakistan would go with Shoaib, Asif, Rana/Sami.

 

[Swervy]

Not sure why Rana Naved would be an automatic selection ahead of Gul. He has a terrible Test record. Yes, he's performed in county cricket, but so has Sajid Mahmood.

you dont rate Mahmood then?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

you dont rate Mahmood then?

Mahmood has a lot of work to do before he gets my respect.

 

[steds]

Yes, he's performed in county cricket, but so has Sajid Mahmood.

Really?
Sajid Mahmood's English First Class seasons:
2003 - 15 @ 29.60
2004 - 23 @ 43.91
2005 - 14 @ 37.21
This year he has 21 @ 20.33 in the County Championship, so I guess you're going off recently? In which case you have to admit that, going off the 2 most recent days of Test cricket, Mahmood is England's best seamer?

 

[TT Boy]

Good stuff from the Pakistanis. Last saw Mohammad Asif at the beginning of June, incidentally at the Oval and the guy was just going through the motions, as Surrey were taking Leicestershire to the cleaners. But he sure was good today, still lacking a bit of pace but his line and length for the most part was faultless and his spell were he picked up captain Strauss, KP and the walking wicket Paul Collingwood was superb. Might have been a bit cloudy and humid for the best part of the day but no way is this pitch as bad as are scorecard reflects, hardly swung all day, bit of seam movement but nothing you haven’t seen before.

Signs looks ominous that a heavy defeat will be on the cards, Mohammad Yousuf has had his couple of life’s (Is it me or can Cook catch?, must have dropped about five now), drop him and he usually tons up big style. Pace bowlers other than Haggard (at the close) looked about as threatening as Mohammad Sami has all series. Mahmood, got a wicket but it was **** ball and nothing more than a bonus for him. We be a big task for Panesar and if Pakistan can survive the early ‘assault’ tomorrow and get anything over 300, then it’s game over in my mind.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

going off the 2 most recent days of Test cricket, Mahmood is England's best seamer?

Admittedly not that hard when you're competing with Harmison, niggly Hoggard and Collingwood/Bell.

 

[TT Boy]

you dont rate Mahmood then?

Does anyone?

 

[steds]

Admittedly not that hard when you're competing with Harmison, niggly Hoggard and Collingwood/Bell.

True...

 

[Xuhaib]

Good stuff from the Pakistanis. Last saw Mohammad Asif at the beginning of June, incidentally at the Oval and the guy was just going through the motions, as Surrey were taking Leicestershire to the cleaners. But he sure was good today, still lacking a bit of pace but his line and length for the most part was faultless and his spell were he picked up captain Strauss, KP and the walking wicket Paul Collingwood was superb. Might have been a bit cloudy and humid for the best part of the day but no way is this pitch as bad as are scorecard reflects, hardly swung all day, bit of seam movement but nothing you haven’t seen before.

Signs looks ominous that a heavy defeat will be on the cards, Mohammad Yousuf has had his couple of life’s (Is it me or can Cook catch?, must have dropped about five now), drop him and he usually tons up big style. Pace bowlers other than Haggard (at the close) looked about as threatening as Mohammad Sami has all series. Mahmood, got a wicket but it was **** ball and nothing more than a bonus for him. We be a big task for Panesar and if Pakistan can survive the early ‘assault’ tomorrow and get anything over 300, then it’s game over in my mind.

Yea actually there is a belief that he was not giving his full on Bob Woolmer instructions just getting adjusted to the conditions and earning himself a pay check . A pace in the reigon of 80-85 with almost Mcgrath-esque accuracy isnt that bad.

 

[TT Boy]

True...

Harmison is a gun...

Or he was at Old Trafford, back to his usual best today.

 

[TT Boy]

Yea actually there is a belief that he was not giving his full on Bob Woolmer instructions just getting adjusted to the conditions and earning himself a pay check . A pace in the reigon of 80-85 with almost Mcgrath-esque accuracy isnt that bad.

Sensible reasoning I guess. Not particularly heartening for Leicestershire mind.

 

[TT Boy]

Not sure why Rana Naved would be an automatic selection ahead of Gul. He has a terrible Test record. Yes, he's performed in county cricket, but so has Sajid Mahmood.

As well as the one day game, hence his ridiculously low strike rate (currently the second best of all-time). I'm a big fan of Rana, bowled well against us in Pakistan and in his defence has played on some extremely flat wickets so far in his test career. Would have him in front of Gul, who even with his decent performances this series has not looked nothing like the bowler of a couple years back. Also Rana can hold a bat.

 

[Sanz]

On a seaming wicket, I would have Gul ahead of Rana, otherwise Rana.

 

[aussie]

This is the first time in the series England have come up agains a good all-round bowling attack from Pakistan & they struggled, i dont mean to be harsh on the likes of Bell & the rest of the order but its the first time they have been tested really & with the all the injury problems England has had if Pakistan could have had Akhtar/Asif/Naved or Gul/Kaneria throughout the series England could have had some real problems.

Asif is a brilliant bowler, best young bowler in the sub-continent by some margin, expect big things from this dawg in the coming years.

 

[Armadillo]

Why is there a picture of Sami on the front page when the caption talks about Asif and Gul.

 

[Fusion]

Why is there a picture of Sami on the front page when the caption talks about Asif and Gul.

To remind Pakistani fans that he's one injury away from coming back in the team and sparing us to death!

 

[The Baconator]

Why is there a picture of Sami on the front page when the caption talks about Asif and Gul.

I'd have guessed it's because we don't of a picture of Gul or Asif or anyone who did anything significant today, but there is one of Gul, maybe Harry just missed it or decided Sami was more appropriate for some other reason.

 

[Armadillo]

Amusing snippet I found.
Aparently Asif has asked Cricinfo to update the photo of him in the player profiles stating 'I am better looking than that now'

 

[Barney Rubble]

Amusing snippet I found.
Aparently Asif has asked Cricinfo to update the photo of him in the player profiles stating 'I am better looking than that now'

I like him already, despite the wickets.