**Official**VB Series 2005 Australia,Pakistan,West Indies.

[Tim]

Pakistan shouldn't have a talent shortage by 2007, but they are still well behind most of the other countries with composure & application at the crease & in the field.

I think it's also fair to say that they'll need to start playing as a team before big wins like the World Cup come along.

 

[Sehwag309]

Pakistan shouldn't have a talent shortage by 2007, but they are still well behind most of the other countries with composure & application at the crease & in the field.

Well put and said, but it seems Pak team is gearing itself only for 1-day game, in test..they seem to lack the patience or style (apart from some fine players like kamal, butt, khan..and few others)

 

[Pratters]

Pakistan shouldn't have a talent shortage by 2007, but they are still well behind most of the other countries with composure & application at the crease & in the field.

I think it's also fair to say that they'll need to start playing as a team before big wins like the World Cup come along.

They have shown far more composure in the last 6 months than in any period of Pakistan cricket since 1996. Also, the team is not being cropped and changed as is usually the case apart from dropping the rugged old players.

They are fighting as a team too, and have quite a few talented players. Results dont come as easily and should in course of time if they maintain the steady progress.

 

[Sehwag309]

MOM: Clarke

Good game

 

[Pratters]

Australia chased it almost perfectly in the end. The kept the ball-run difference always under control and with a few overs left and 5 wickets left, when the loss of another wicket wouldnt prove as crucial, they went for the kill.

If they had gone for a few more risks earlier on, another wicket would have put them in a slightly risky position. So they cut the risks out for some time and then put the final jab in.

 

[Jono]

Great win for Australia, undermanned and still wound up on top. But by golly, if Malik's throw had not bounced over the stumps and Lehmann had have been run out, the end may have been a little more tight.

Brilliant innings by Clarke, top performances by Afridi, Lehmann and Inzamam as well. One disappointment in this game was Akhtar. Not sure what's wrong with him, if anything, but he just bowled poorly.

 

[age_master]

Great stuff Clarke top innings, handled shoaib superbly and kept up a great scoring rate (team and personal) right through the innings. well deserved MOTM.


annoying though was 3 batsmen playing on, unusual too

 

[age_master]

dont think shoaib got much past 150kph either....

 

[cameeel]

Great Innings by Clarke, and Afridis was awesome, pretty easy win though in the end, but they did better than most said they would

 

[Eclipse]

But it didn't. Therefore it wasn't a perfect yorker.

fine what ever..

but if the batsman was not there it would have, I guess that was my point.

 

[Eclipse]

And I'm fairly certain the rest of the top order has been going at at least as much, if not more.

The rest of the top order is not going along anywhere near as fast.. Gilly's probably been strikeing at around 105-110 over the last few years..

 

[Mr Casson]

I kind of feel sorry for Clarke now... Everyone knew it would be temporary, but the way he's played has been so brilliant in these last two games I feel he deserves a little bit more than being put in the shed at number 6/7 again at the expense of a long out-of-form Hayden. Still, at least the selectors and Ricky Ponting know who to turn to the next time an opener goes bung.

 

[Eclipse]

Hayden really is an overated ODI batsman if you ask me..

I would rather Clarke or Martyn opened than Hayden.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

Hayden really is an overated ODI batsman if you ask me..

I would rather Clarke or Martyn opened than Hayden.

Bah, he's just out of form.

Watch him in a good patch.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

I kind of feel sorry for Clarke now... Everyone knew it would be temporary, but the way he's played has been so brilliant in these last two games I feel he deserves a little bit more than being put in the shed at number 6/7 again at the expense of a long out-of-form Hayden. Still, at least the selectors and Ricky Ponting know who to turn to the next time an opener goes bung.

Why not put him at 3?

Or have a constantly interchanging trio of ODI openers?

(Yes, I know the latter will bring an inordinate number of problems, but it sounded so good on paper.)

 

[Mr Casson]

Why not put him at 3?

Or have a constantly interchanging trio of ODI openers?

(Yes, I know the latter will bring an inordinate number of problems, but it sounded so good on paper.)

That was the phasing out of Mark Waugh; time for that to happen again, except Hayden getting some of his own medicine.

If you think Ricky Ponting will vacate his spot for Clarke you're wrong. He can't have four either, because Martyn absolutely owns it. Five is Lehmann's until some time in the near future when he is sacked, but I think that is too far down given how effective Clarke has been against the new ball.

 

[mikeW]

i rekon put Clarkey down to 5 and put Lehmann to 6 were he can come in at the death hopefully and play his normal unorthodox shots and make some runs.

 

[Mister Wright]

That was the phasing out of Mark Waugh; time for that to happen again, except Hayden getting some of his own medicine.

If you think Ricky Ponting will vacate his spot for Clarke you're wrong. He can't have four either, because Martyn absolutely owns it. Five is Lehmann's until some time in the near future when he is sacked, but I think that is too far down given how lucky Clarke has been against the new ball.

Edited your post for you.

 

[Mr Casson]

Edited your post for you.

Whatever you think, he's been effective. Not to mention he's played some absolutely fearless, glorious shots right from the start.

 

[Mister Wright]

Whatever you think, he's been effective. Not to mention he's played some absolutely fearless, glorious shots right from the start.

Two failures if he is caught. In both innings he hasn't looked good until he's been dropped.