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

[Kippax]

it's so harsh to leave out Wagner here.

Yeah all this talk about not a single blade of grass, who's to say the really bad variable bounce we were seeing in the warm-up match won't be present again.

 

[Kippax]

Pitting Hendo's Hero and Howsie's Hero against each other now, I like it.

 

[Kippax]

Our choice of No. 6 has brought Watling in slightly.

 

[hendrix]

Get on a Latham-Sodhi-Craig pick.

 

[Kippax]

Yes! I like that trifecta if it's tired and low, edges being angled down and racing through the cordon to the fence. Hesson says this will be the slowest and lowest pitch of the tour.

 

[Kippax]

I'm surprised they predict Misbah only outscores Hafeez 10 out of 19 times.

 

[Blocky]

So if we lose the toss, can Dan go just go "yeah, nah" ......

Can't select the team post toss, to stop exactly that. "Oh, we're batting first? Time to select the extra batsman"

 

[Blocky]

Vettori received his cap already for his 112th test - he's been selected in the playing 11.

The debate is focused on Craig vs Neesham. Wagner is not being considered.

 

[Howsie]

Three spinners is just ridiculous, especially when one of them is Mark Craig. Drop him and play Neesham, simple.

 

[Athlai]

Craigs batting form has been better than Neeshams. Get him to open!

 

[Days of Grace]

Why did we take so many seam bowlers but so few middle order batsmen when we knew conditions were going to be like this?

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Wagner is not being considered.

lol what even is this.

 

[Days of Grace]

Well it was an interesting series. 2-0 probably a fair result. We won one toss and ran them close, I guess.

Onto the one-dayers.

 

[Howsie]

FMD. Might give this game a miss for the first two days. When do the one dayers start?

 

[Binkley]

Ah well, that was a desperately disappointing performance by New Zealand. Going into the third test with three spinners was a bold move, but it didn't help much with the toss. So, when do the ODIs start?

 

[Zinzan]

*** Off McCullum always calling heads, such a bad toss to lose against Pakistan. At least it shouldn't make any difference to Vettori's bowling considering he looks to deceive through the air rather than off the pitch.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Pakistan out for 250 I reckon.

 

[Zinzan]

I get the pitches are supposed to support the home team at all, but not one blade of grass to start with?

 

[Athlai]

*** Off McCullum always calling heads, such a bad toss to lose against Pakistan. At least it shouldn't make any difference to Vettori's bowling considering he looks to deceive through the air rather than off the pitch.

Always call Heads.

 

[Mike5181]

This is going to be painful.