**Official** Pakistan v New Zealand in the UAE 2014

[straw man]

Anyway, McCullum opening would be great. I do have some reservations that his batting has declined a little, based on struggles away from home and that he's very dependent on hand-eye, which may be declining a little now he's 33, but that said he's still the best opening partner for Latham on tour.

 

[Flem274*]

flynn can't or refuses to drive at test level, and when he does it's not exactly sound. you can just bowl in the drive zone all day until he makes a mistake and tries to defend something he shouldn't or feels the pressure to score and flashes at one.

i hope we don't give up on rudds. has a lot of good things in his game and an opener who can put the opposition in deep **** in the first session of a game is a guy we want to succeed.

 

[Blocky]

flynn can't or refuses to drive at test level, and when he does it's not exactly sound. you can just bowl in the drive zone all day until he makes a mistake and tries to defend something he shouldn't or feels the pressure to score and flashes at one.

i hope we don't give up on rudds. has a lot of good things in his game and an opener who can put the opposition in deep **** in the first session of a game is a guy we want to succeed.

Any idea of "But Rutherford could give us great starts" further validates my "Put Ryder in to open"

 

[Bahnz]

True enough. Ryder is basically Rutherford with more talent and a decent onside game.

 

[Flem274*]

im coming round to it, but since baz was briefly quite a good aggressive opener before he tried to bat normally i still think he's the best bet. has the experience etc, and his best knock was when he batted out a draw.

he's never really found his tempo has baz. pretty good at blocking, pretty good at going hell for leather, but can struggle to tick along

 

[Blocky]

I'd say Jesse has more evidence of consistency than Baz does across all the levels.

My team actually has them both as opening batsmen to be honest, because I think ultimately we have options for the #5 position more so than we do for 1-2. If we solve 1-2, we've got world class at 3, 4 and 7. We've got two all rounders who could potentially do a Cairns at 6 for 10 years and we're developing a great attack. Remembering a lot of our success was underpinned by Fleming moving up to form a semi stable combination with Horne and then Richardson, getting our opening combination right tends to make us better off.

 

[Howsie]

Craig to Sami Aslam, OUT, Comes down the pitch, hits it on the rise but not cleanly, high up in the air and mid-off lines himself up under it and catches it with ease

Does that wicket count Blocky?

 

[hendrix]

Impressive economy from Wagner and Sodhi.

I would like both of them to play and Craig 12th man.

 

[Hurricane]

I'd say Jesse has more evidence of consistency than Baz does across all the levels.

My team actually has them both as opening batsmen to be honest, because I think ultimately we have options for the #5 position more so than we do for 1-2. If we solve 1-2, we've got world class at 3, 4 and 7. We've got two all rounders who could potentially do a Cairns at 6 for 10 years and we're developing a great attack. Remembering a lot of our success was underpinned by Fleming moving up to form a semi stable combination with Horne and then Richardson, getting our opening combination right tends to make us better off.

I wasn't around for those days, in my life time of viewing we have never had a gun opening combination even in the days of Wright and Edgar - they were solid but not guns. We do tend to greatly rely on the middle order. Australia by contrast seem to live and die by their opening batsman.

 

[kiwiviktor81]

Maybe we should gamble on creating a new Dave Warner by finding a guy who can translate T20 hitting into Test form as an opener.

 

[Hurricane]

Maybe we should gamble on creating a new Dave Warner by finding a guy who can translate T20 hitting into Test form as an opener.

Why not - it has come to this.

Unfortunately our best T20 openers are Brendon, Martin, and Jesse. Two of them have been tried before, and well jesse you know the story there.

 

[Flem274*]

it's not the T20 that makes Warner though. His technique is excellent, so while he is a very aggressive batsman his technique enables him to bat well on tough pitches. His Hobart ton on debut is a case in point.

 

[Hurricane]

it's not the T20 that makes Warner though. His technique is excellent, so while he is a very aggressive batsman his technique enables him to bat well on tough pitches. His Hobart ton on debut is a case in point.

I don't think I have ever watched him long enough to study his technique in depth. From what little I have seen he seems to just get on top of the bowling and soon they are bowling to restrict him rather than getting him out. Plays with a lot of forthrightness and confidence. Probably stronger on the offside than on side, although certainly capable off his legs. His off side play eventually intimidates the bowler into stopping trying to get him caught in the slips.

I would probably just bowl 4th stump to him rather than 5th or 6th. And would rather people came round the wicket to him to cramp him a bit.

I am certain I have a long term bet with you that he will crash and burn as a player - you are winning atm.



I

 

[NZTailender]

Maybe we should gamble on creating a new Dave Warner by finding a guy who can translate T20 hitting into Test form as an opener.

Only if he wears that beard whilst doing so.

 

[Bahnz]

Just for a laugh, I logged on to Pakpassion to see what's being said ahead of the series. Oof, never again.

 

[Flem274*]

enlighten us

 

[Bahnz]

Nothing particularly interesting, just a sea of nationalistic dick-swinging. After the 500th post along the lines Noof "LOL we thrashed ur big brother. Kiwiz are terrible!" and "Southee is rubbish! We smashed him last time we played NZ!", I decided enough was enough.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

reading Pakpassion isn't good for your health or intelligence. I really feel for the few good posters who stick it out there there.

 

[Flem274*]

we should get them over here to spice the thread up.

all right im curious and im going in.

 

[hendrix]

Nothing particularly interesting, just a sea of nationalistic dick-swinging. After the 500th post along the lines Noof "LOL we thrashed ur big brother. Kiwiz are terrible!" and "Southee is rubbish! We smashed him last time we played NZ!", I decided enough was enough.

surely there's some gambhiring.