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

[Beleg]

Sigh. Another Pakistani off-spinner reported as suspect.

Shahid Afridi was taken to the cleaners by Lara late in his spell. After 7 overs his figures stood at 7-0-21-0, which isn't really remarkable with Afridi. He has always bowled well and pretty tidily on Aussie wickets.

Dillion bowled well, but not as well as his stats suggest. The delivery that got rid of Hafeez was a pretty non-descript mid-riff stuff [Hafeez probably poked at it for the sake of poking at it] and the Salman Butt one wasn't great shakes either, could have easily been dispatched for four; Butt just played all over it. And it wasn't as if he wasn't punished at all. Compartively however, it was a better performance from him.

To me the bowler who showed the most promise was Pedro Collins. Some of his delivery's angling away from the right-hander were excellent and were, for the most part, brilliantly negotiated by Akmal. Now if only he can get his in-swing going, he can be a real threat.

In the end, Pakistan slowed off near the end. They only needed less then 40 from the last 10, with 7 wickets in hand. I personally think they should have had a crack at the bonus point; sure they weren't likely to get there, but it would have sent a positive message and a certain disregard for WI bowling which could have further dampened the WI morale.

My team for the upcoming ODI's, provided Akhtar gets fit:

Butt
Akmal
Malik
Youhana
Hafeez
Inzamam
Razzaq
Afridi
Mahmood
Rana
Akhtar

That's really the best we can field at the moment, and probably one of the few Pakistani teams of the last two decades to actually have batting as their strenght, not bowling.

Even with a fit Gayle the WI bowling attack lack any penetration power.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I'll have to watch the highlights tonight to see whether I've been too harsh on big Merv. Did Collins get the ball to swing?

He got some swing early on and had a decent shout against Akmal for LBW, but didn't get the ball in the right areas enough.

 

[marc71178]

(which is not to assume that those recommendations will necessarily be adopted...).

Can you imagine the uproar if they're not?!

 

[Nonentity]

I can't say the West Indies played that badly in this one. We just didn't (and no one did I think!) account for the Akmal factor.

Was pleased with Dillon's bowling for the most part though. He looked determined at the very least. Collins and Bradshaw both looked completely out of sorts though.

u've got to be kidding!
if u can't beat us u've got to be shite!

 

[Slow Love™]

Can you imagine the uproar if they're not?!

You know, as a matter of fact, it had just occurred to me as I wrote that post - I was about to say something like "Looks like he'll (Hafeez) still be subject to the existing tolerance level requirements for spinners (5 degrees) in his remedial work, because the new changes to these procedures are a month away" when I realised they were just recommendations, and we don't really have a clue what will be adopted and what won't.

Many people (including myself) have probably assumed that the tolerance levels will be shifted for all bowlers to 15 degrees, but there aren't any guarantees.

And yeah, I think it'll erupt into a firestorm if they're not adopted.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

u've got to be kidding!
if u can't beat us u've got to be shite!

Well we whipped you guys in the CT, but that's beside the point...

 

[Gotchya]

Heeey!!

A big halloow to everyone! stumbled onto my old hangout!

lets see...neil, mark, eddie, topcat, roygilchrist, reuben, kim... (missing lotsof names) All these guys still around??

All the english fans (neil and marc) shud be in high spirits then when i last saw them

Anyway ... was a good win for pakistan yesterday, the batting line up still looks very experimnetal. And without sami and Akhtar, i dont see the attack going anywhere! Could anyone tell em what the Windies were upto? I watched them bat and really, it was criminal to score at such a low rate with so many wickets in hand...

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

lets see...neil, mark, eddie, topcat, roygilchrist, reuben, kim... (missing lotsof names) All these guys still around??

Neil, Marc and Reuben are still regulars. Kim and TC drop in occasionally. Roy I haven't seen about in a bit and LE hasn't been heard from in ages.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Could anyone tell em what the Windies were upto? I watched them bat and really, it was criminal to score at such a low rate with so many wickets in hand...

Well in all fairness the last 40 overs produced 246 or so runs.

 

[Gotchya]

Neil, Marc and Reuben are still regulars. Kim and TC drop in occasionally. Roy I haven't seen about in a bit and LE hasn't been heard from in ages.

Too bad, that duck of his!

Well yeah after the first 10 overs Gayle accelerated a lot, But runs came in patches really, Gayle and then Lara. Sarwan strangled it for me.

PS. What happened to the Cricketweb XI, I made it in yet?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Too bad, that duck of his!

Well yeah after the first 10 overs Gayle accelerated a lot, But runs came in patches really, Gayle and then Lara. Sarwan strangled it for me.

Sarwan did struggle at first, but he did well later in his innings. His last 60 or so runs came at about a run-a-ball I believe. Lara should have gone in when Hinds was out though.

PS. What happened to the Cricketweb XI, I made it in yet?

You been placed inactive, but you can have a browse around the forum and then re-establish your activity. You'll then be signed by one of the domestic teams and be available for selection in the Dev League Season 8, which starts on Monday.

 

[honestbharani]

I think Wavell Hinds is quickly becoming a liability to the side. I know he did reasonably well last time he was in Australia, but he is struggling with the bat, not useful with the ball, is not outstanding in the field. I don't see why he should continue in the side.


I think, ideally, Bravo should come in for Hinds and perhaps have Samuels open. He looked okay against the quick bowlers from whatever I have seen of him and maybe, then, with a right left combination at the top, Lara could be convinced to go in at 3, instead of basically being wasted at no.4. Also, with Bravo in the side, they will have 4 bowlers plus Gayle, Samuels, Sarwan and Powell to fall back on. That sort of a balanced side might help them do better.

 

[Josh]

Akhtar might be rested until the finals (providing Pakistan get there) I heard today on the tube.

 

[Choora]

He was seen on the turps somewhere during the last test wasn't he? I'm partial to a good session myself but I don't play international cricket and certainly wouldn't think about it in the middle of a test match where I was representing my country. If he took his job more seriously, kept himself fit, quit smoking, got rid of the mirror and shortened his run-up he wouldn't pick up these niggles and might be a decent player people respect. Not to mention keep his arm straight when bowling.
He needs a grow a ticker if you ask me.

Initially you said that he was faking injury , now you critisize him for not being serious that result in him being unfit! Thankfully atleast now you realised that he isn't faking injury.

Akhtar has certain weakness, but i never knew that he smoke.Also its time you realise that Akhtar simply CANNOT STRAIGHTEN up his arm as he has HYPEREXTENSION of elbow joint.The ICC has accepted that, the umpires has accepted that and i think its high time you accept that too and stop whingning about bent arm!

 

[Choora]

who do u think should open then?

One of the 2 openers that Pak has, either Hameed or Umar.

And if they happen to be so useless (which they aren"t) then why the hell are they in the squad in the first place?

 

[Choora]

Heeey!!

Anyway ... was a good win for pakistan yesterday, the batting line up still looks very experimnetal.

When do you Pakistanis think these experiments are going to end? i think Pak would continue to experiment their batting side right till the '07 WC. Really there is no need for silly experiments, they should have a stable side or else they will continue to struggle.

 

[Beleg]

Mr. M posted,

Well in all fairness the last 40 overs produced 246 or so runs.

Even so, If you watched them batting you'll realize that apart from Lara no one else made any effort at improvisation and/or attack until about the 48th over, which is too late.

Sarawan pulled back his strike-rate a bit in the later part, but it was still very slow compared to what other batsman in the game maintained. [Lara, Chanderpaul, Akmal, Inzamam, Malik] The point is that they could easily have scored at least 30 more runs, they just fell in the same lull that Aussie's faced during their first game.

 

[shaka]

One has to wonder how WI will go when Lara eventually retires, the rest of the playing XI would be thrown into the gauntlet and hopefully they come out of it with better attitudes.

 

[Jono]

One has to wonder how WI will go when Lara eventually retires.

The thought of that makes me cry.

 

[Nonentity]

The thought of that makes me cry.

personally i think the windies are better off without lara...he's the carribean version of shoaib akhtar if u like...doesnt care about the team one bit...only wants the records