duleep
2nd XI player
Posts: 10 
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Post by duleep on Nov 2, 2014 10:31:38 GMT
Extraordinary scenes in Abu Dhabi. Pakistan have declared at 293-3, leaving Auistralia 603 to get in the 4th innings. Azhar Ali and Misbah-ul-Haq both socred their second century of the match, and Lyon's average for this 2 match series is 140.66. Johnson bowled only 7 overs out of 60 in the second innings, and took 2-45. Australia's fielding has been about as bad as England a year ago and they look, as we did, completely shot and without an answer. I was actually surprised to find that the England series against Pakistan was as long ago as 2011/12 - and I hadn't recalled the series as as much as a drubbing as the Australians are currently getting. But after reference to the scorecards, I see it was just as bad! Time, they say, is a great healer but let's hope that by the time the Australians arrive here, it is still nice and fresh in the memory! |
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Post by hhsussex on Nov 2, 2014 10:40:16 GMT
Zulfiqar Babar looks a seriously good bowler - nice flight and drift, a lovely slider to get rid of Maxwell. I wonder if any English county could tempt him for next year? Possibly one with recent experience of Test class spin bowlers capable of bowling out a side, but currently lacking that option? (cough, cough)
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Post by deepfineleg on Nov 2, 2014 11:03:25 GMT
One with an overseas vacancy in June, just as pitches improve for spin?
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Post by hhsussex on Nov 2, 2014 11:07:23 GMT
One with an overseas vacancy in June, just as pitches improve for spin? That would be right. Know a place like that, do you?  |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2014 11:40:58 GMT
75-3 at tea, with all three wkts to Babar again and only the brilliant David Warner showing any resistance. As said before, I really like Warner, the best opening batsman in the world right now and a real never-say-die character. For me he has the all battling, ornery, fighting qualities that have epitomised the best of modern Australian batting from the Chappells through to Boon and Ponting.
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Post by hhsussex on Nov 2, 2014 11:48:18 GMT
75-3 at tea, with all three wkts to Babar again and only the brilliant David Warner showing any resistance. As said before, I really like Warner, the best opening batsman in the world right now and a real never-say-die character. For me he has the all battling, ornery, fighting qualities that have epitomised the best of modern Australian batting from the Chappells through to Boon and Ponting. Yes, he's definitely got attitude and he takes his chances and generally gets away with them. A couple of near misses but that is going to happen when you play positively against good class bowling. Without him Australia would be in even worse straits than they are. |
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Post by hhsussex on Nov 2, 2014 12:00:50 GMT
Joint goatmouth there, borderman, as Warner slogs Hafeez hideously and gives it away.
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Post by hhsussex on Nov 3, 2014 10:52:41 GMT
Pakistan's biggest win, by 364 runs, reportedly takes them past England to 3rd in the ICC rankings, though it has yet to be updated on Cricinfo. An interesting blend of experienced and newer players - note that I didn't say old and young, bearing in mind Pakistan's new spin pairing - seems to have found a new determination and it will be intersting to see how the team develops from here.
Fortunately, or otherwise, for us, we'll be seeing quite a bit of them from next year. Following the latest round of "let's give the ECB some cash for an Ashe series", we will be playing Pakistan in October and November 2015 for 3 Tests, 5 ODIs and a T20. There is no suggestion at the moment that this will be in Pakistan, so we can expect more of the same in terms of wickets: good batting tracks that gradually take spin and accurate reverse swing.
Then they come to England in Jul-Sep 2016 for the first time since the News of the World tour, playing 4 Tests, 5 ODIs and a T20.
By that time England will have also toured South Africa (Dec 15 - Feb 16) and played yet another 3 match series against Sri Lanka at home.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2014 11:28:19 GMT
It is staggering where they keep finding these players - and bowlers in partiuclar.
There were eight Test match quality bowlers missing for various reasons from this series - Saeed Ajmal, Mohammed Irfan, Junaid Khan, Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul, Abdur Rehman, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir. However many of them get banned for spot-fixing or suspect bowling actions, there seem to be plenty more waiting to take their place.
There's some gossip elsewhere about the return of Mohammed Amir, whose five year ban expires in Sept 2015 (and may be sooner, as it is currently up for reduction by the ICC). Either way he will be eligible for the Oct/Nov 2015 series v England. His six month prison sentence in Nov 2011 is also now spent for UK visa purposes, so he could well be in the Pakistan party to England in 2016 , leading some to say the ECB should cancel the tour if he were to be selected.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2014 9:01:14 GMT
Interesting interview with Mudassar Nazar on cricinfo: "Pakistan has more fast bowlers than any other country in the world. Pakistan is blessed with fast bowlers, and yet people say that we are not getting anyone who bowls quick. Yes, we don't have anyone bowling at 155-160kph. We have got bowlers who can bowl in excess of 140kph and there are more than ten of them. Nobody has that. There are left-armers, right-armers, and they have all got different actions."
When it comes to spinners they seem to have just as many, if not more. Yet he doesn't seem able to explain how they do it, given that their domestic cricket is rubbish.
"We keep saying that domestic cricket in Pakistan is not good, and I think we have valid reasons for saying that," he admits.
So what is the pathway? It seems that you simply "get all these budding youngsters into the academies and then take them on tour."
Should the ECB not be taking a very close look at these academies to see how they seem to produce cricketers who are ready to go straight on international tours? Instead of Flower breathing down Robinson's neck in South Africa on the Lions tour this winter, perhaps he should be sent to Pakistan for a couple of months on a fact-finding mission?
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