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

[Meridio]

Legspinner, you say? Yeah, we'll crumble at least once.

Anyway, given where I live these days, had been planning to go to at least one of the tests. Checked the dates, and not impressed with the schedule at all. First test in Abu Dhabi runs Sunday-Thursday. That's the working week in the Middle East, so can't go to that one. Second test in Dubai runs Monday-Friday, so not much better. I know ground attendances aren't really the priority for cricket boards these days, but are they actually hoping to get any crowd in? The third test in Sharjah is the only one that runs properly over a weekend, with days 3 & 4 as Friday/Saturday, but there's the possibility of that being a dead rubber; plus there's a lot more expats in Dubai/Abu Dhabi, who you'd think would be more likely to attend. Bah.

Going to go anyway, but it's not ideal, as everyone says these days.

 

[Prince EWS]

I know ground attendances aren't really the priority for cricket boards these days, but are they actually hoping to get any crowd in?

The answer to this is basically no.

 

[Kippax]

Notice lots of success with a ball that slides straight on from Zulfi there....

Jeetan Patel Masterclass | 2014 Cup Final, Warwickshire vs. Durham

 

[nightprowler10]

3 Tests? Whoa.

 

[Flem274*]

Since Pakistan can get good players of spin like Clarke and Smith out, if we field two spinners again this is going to hurt. We can't just rely on KW, Taylor and Watling to eat spin bowling alive on this tour and score more than the opposition. This would be a great tour for Baz to remind us how good he can be away from home too. It's been ages since he had a good trip to another country.

 

[hendrix]

Latham and Neesham are good players of spin. And considering it's a SLA and a leggie who are the main threats, it's nice that they're lefties.

 

[Flem274*]

Yeah but you don't want to rely on your newbies every tour. Those two are going to have their horror days.

Also maybe, just maybe, we should have looked at Power Papps for this season (**** off PEWS). Guptill is still finding his feet with his new technique and Rudds or Brownlie opening in the UAE against their weakness doesn't fill me with confidence. Papps getting a crack on slower overseas pitches then monstering the Sri Lankans on our own roads would help a lot. We could even take him to England and hope the pitches don't have good pace or carry for Broad to nick him off.

 

[hendrix]

May as well just let Devcich be our Hafeez.

 

[Blocky]

I'm always of the mindset that you should never debut pace bowlers in the sub-continent so I'm OK with Doug being included ahead of others. I also think Brownlie needs to prove himself a lot more before we can take him seriously in the test side as an opener. The only option missing from the side who I think should be there is Ryder but that's for known reasons.

 

[ohnoitsyou]

Notable subcontinent country UAE

 

[Bahnz]

Cricket: Hesson coy on openers - Sport - NZ Herald News

Sounds like there's a chance that KW might be back at the bowling crease at some point in the UAE:

Results from Kane Williamson's remedial work on his bowling action are expected soon. Hesson said the part time offspinner's bowling action had undergone "massive changes" since being fingered for throwing by officials earlier in the year.

 

[Blocky]

Cricket: Hesson coy on openers - Sport - NZ Herald News

Sounds like there's a chance that KW might be back at the bowling crease at some point in the UAE:

Bedding in a new technique will take him a while to be effective though, some argue that Vettori never bedded in his new technique and lost a tonne of efficiency after his initial back problems. I wouldn't expect Kane to be operating anywhere near his regular level for at least a year or two.

 

[Bahnz]

Bedding in a new technique will take him a while to be effective though, some argue that Vettori never bedded in his new technique and lost a tonne of efficiency after his initial back problems. I wouldn't expect Kane to be operating anywhere near his regular level for at least a year or two.

Yeah, me neither. Still, the sooner we have a chance to test out his bowling and be sure, the better.

 

[BeeGee]

Notable subcontinent country UAE

Sub-subcontinent.

 

[Flem274*]

spare subcontinent

 

[Flem274*]

also india is actually a continent/tectonic plate, so instead of calling it the sub-continent we should just call it the continent. except then australia and africa and all the rest are continents too, so really we should just stop generalising and refer to specific conditions in asian countries or just talk about turning conditions in general.

 

[Hurricane]

also india is actually a continent/tectonic plate, so instead of calling it the sub-continent we should just call it the continent. except then australia and africa and all the rest are continents too, so really we should just stop generalising and refer to specific conditions in asian countries or just talk about turning conditions in general.

Good luck with this suggestion it has only been called the sub continent on CW since the dawn of time...

 

[Blocky]

Meh, when you say "sub-continent" in regards to a cricket ground, you instantly think "hot, humid environment with a low, slow dust bowl which will progressively turn more and more as the match goes on"

UAE doesn't break that thought.

 

[straw man]

Good point guys. To really simplify things we should refer from now on to NZ and West Indian conditions as Tectonic Plate Boundary (TPB) conditions.

"Another typical TPB road, though an earthquake is forecast on day 4"
"Good spin there from Vettori, I think that one hit the plate boundary"

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Will be interesting to see how the NZ spinners go as we know there is usually nothing in the pitches for the pacemen. Going to be a tough tour for Southee and Boult I think.