Best cricketer in their side

[Richard]

Hmm.. IMO, he turned it around when he got those centuries in Chennai, so I'd say more like one and a half years. I see your point that he has ironed out some technical flaws in his game, I haven't watched him that much. I also think captaincy has done him a lot of good.

Undoubtedly, he changed completely as a batsman after that 173 (which saved his career but was more an innings of incredible take-each-ball-as-it-comes-ism than any real instinctively excellent play) and at the start of the 2008 home summer had re-emerged with a game which enabled him to consistently succeed at Test level. Even now he hasn't done so entirely - he's twice flattered to deceive in series' against South Africa.

It was notable that he played completely differently in 2008 to how he had been doing from the 2005/06 winter to the 2007/08 one (which he was dropped for the first leg of). Far more compact and far better judgement of his own weaknesses. And far better at knowing how to turn what had become weaknesses back into strengths.

 

[Richard]

That wanna lose 5-0 again.

As things stand right now all indications are that Clarke's absence would weaken Australia's chances of doing that in the upcoming 2010/11 Ashes than Ponting's absence would.

 

[wfdu_ben91]

As things stand right now all indications are that Clarke's absence would weaken Australia's chances of doing that in the upcoming 2010/11 Ashes than Ponting's absence would.

Not really. Clarke usually only scores runs when someone else does. Ponting scored a double century only two Test matches ago, something which Clarke hasn't come close to doing at all during his career.

 

[slowfinger]

What happened to PAK: AJMAL??

 

[Richard]

Not really. Clarke usually only scores runs when someone else does. Ponting scored a double century only two Test matches ago, something which Clarke hasn't come close to doing at all during his career.

Ponting scored a double-century against a side which couldn't catch a cold. I sincerely hope England can - if they can't, they have far bigger worries than mere Ponting double-centuries.

If Clarke only scores runs when someone else has, it's a damn sight better than Ponting who has hardly scored any good runs for a fair while now.

 

[wfdu_ben91]

Ponting scored a double-century against a side which couldn't catch a cold. I sincerely hope England can - if they can't, they have far bigger worries than mere Ponting double-centuries.

If Clarke only scores runs when someone else has, it's a damn sight better than Ponting who has hardly scored any good runs for a fair while now.

But against a team with a far better bowling attack then England.

 

[Richard]

Which one's that then?

Hope not Pakistan. The ineptitude of their catching renders the excellence of their attack worthless.

 

[GIMH]

But against a team with a far better bowling attack then England.

No such team exists tbh

 

[King Pietersen]

Which one's that then?

Hope not Pakistan. The ineptitude of their catching renders the excellence of their attack worthless.

Asif, Aamer, Gul and Kaneria. A mediocre bowling attack, not notably better than England's was in the Ashes (Anderson, Flintoff, Onions, Broad and Swann), and given their catching it's nowhere near as good. Wasn't Ponting dropped 1st ball in that innings too? IIRC he hooked a short ball straight to Aamer at deep square, who spilled a sitter.

 

[Athlai]

Asif, Aamer, Gul and Kaneria. A mediocre bowling attack, not notably better than England's was in the Ashes (Anderson, Flintoff, Onions, Broad and Swann), and given their catching it's nowhere near as good. Wasn't Ponting dropped 1st ball in that innings too? IIRC he hooked a short ball straight to Aamer at deep square, who spilled a sitter.

 

[King Pietersen]

You don't agree? Asif the only star of the attack really. Aamer's in the same situation Broad was early in his career, being picked too early, and his figures reflect that (averaging over 40), Gul's very hit-and-miss and Kaneria's an average spinner.

 

[Athlai]

You don't agree? Asif the only star of the attack really. Aamer's in the same situation Broad was early in his career, being picked too early, and his figures reflect that (averaging over 40), Gul's very hit-and-miss and Kaneria's an average spinner.

Aamer averages over 40 because half of the catches that should be taken are dropped.

 

[King Pietersen]

Looks a good bowler yes, but even with a few catches taken I doubt that average would drop much. Has a lot of potential, and has bowled well in Limited overs cricket, but been picked too early for Tests AFAIC. Struggling to see how that attack, adding in the dire fielding, is anything but mediocre in Test cricket.

 

[Athlai]

1st Test
3.4

Mohammad Aamer to Paranavitana, FOUR, Dropped Oh boy that should have been taken, Aamer fires it inwards on a full length and induces a thick leading edge, I think it was Younis who fluffed the catch at third slip falling to his right, the ball rolls away to third man

7.2

Mohammad Aamer to Jayawardene, no run, Dropped Akmal's the culprit, Aamer bowls it in the corridor outside off and induces a nick, Akmal didn't have to move, he's dropped a sitter

2nd Test

64.2

Mohammad Aamer to Mathews, no run, dropped at second slip, a sitter put down by Khurram Manzoor, Mathews edges the ball as it leaves him with angle, a healthy edge which flies around chest high to Manzoor

3rd Test

6.1

Mohammad Aamer to Sangakkara, no run, dropped, Manzoor the culprit, short outside off, Sanga pushes at it away from his body trying to get it past point, Manzoor is perfectly placed at gully exactly for that shot, and spills it in front of his face, straightforward chance put down. How costly will that prove?

14.6

Mohammad Aamer to Sangakkara, FOUR, edged and dropped, bowling from wide of the crease, Sangakkara is caught walking forward to a short of a good length delivery just outside off, tries to play it straight, and inside the line, gets a thick outside edge just wide of Manzoor at gully who gets his fingers to it as he dives to his right, but can't hold on. A difficult chance, but could have been taken.

4th Test

54.1

Mohammad Aamer to Bond, no run, Dropped It's Farhat again, man he's having a nightmare of a match at slip, Bond opens the face of the bat and offers catching practice, Umar went for it from second slip and Farhat may have been distracted at first slip, it carried to Farhat and he failed to hang on

5th Test

54.3

Mohammad Aamer to McCullum, no run, dropped, the third one of the innings, Gul the culprit, he's perfectly positioned at point, short and wide and it's slashed straight to him and he drops a straightforward chance

6th Test

131.4

Mohammad Aamer to O'Brien, 1 run, dropped, another one, Umar Akmal can't repeat the Vettori beauty here, short outside off, it's guided just wide of him at gully but came much quicker and he couldn't react in time moving to his left

7th Test

7.5

Mohammad Aamer to Katich, no run, dropped, Umar Akmal's the man, short and wide and he went for the cut, the first aggressive shot from the left-hander, struck hard and the 19-year old reacted late at gully, and was in some pain after letting it slip

62.3

Mohammad Aamer to Watson, 1 run, dropped on 99, fuller delivery and Watson drives in the air to backward point and the fielder, Rauf drops it and Watson has his century, well played, raises his bat to the crowd. Everybody rises to clap.Maiden century for Watson.

8th Test

A MIRACLE NO DROPS!!!!


This is ****ing unbelievable I thought it would be about half this number. Must have been 25 odd drops by Pakistan in those 8 matches. Think of all the runs that would have saved him, wickets he lost and pressure Pakistan lost.

 

[King Pietersen]

Wow, didn't realise it was that many. Maybe it did affect his average Still don't think the attack as a whole is a world-beater, though it probably would help if the fielders could catch.

 

[Athlai]

Wow, didn't realise it was that many. Maybe it did affect his average Still don't think the attack as a whole is a world-beater, though it probably would help if the fielders could catch.

Kaneria and Ajmal had about 10 drops each and Asif had about 5.

Reckon Asif is probably the best bowler in the world at the moment behind only Steyn. Aamer is excellent... if only his team could catch. Gul is meh, Kaneria and Ajmal are handy spinners. Better than anyone elses bar Swann.

 

[wfdu_ben91]

Umar Gul > Anderson, Onions, Broad, Sidebottom, Finn

And his Pakistan's 3rd seamer.

Doesn't say much for England's bowlers that Pakistan's seamers have lower bowling averages and they play in dire conditions for bowlers whilst the poms get to bowl in England.

Asif is the best bowler in the world at the moment, followed by Steyn and then Bollinger.

 

[Xuhaib]

Umar Gul > Anderson, Onions, Broad, Sidebottom, Finn

And his Pakistan's 3rd seamer.

Doesn't say much for England's bowlers that Pakistan's seamers have lower bowling averages and they play in dire conditions for bowlers whilst the poms get to bowl in England.

Asif is the best bowler in the world at the moment, followed by Steyn and then Bollinger.

giving too much credit to Gul he is definetley below Anderson and both Onions and Broad also have a good case.

 

[Manee]

Umar Gul > Anderson, Onions, Broad, Sidebottom, Finn

And his Pakistan's 3rd seamer.

Doesn't say much for England's bowlers that Pakistan's seamers have lower bowling averages and they play in dire conditions for bowlers whilst the poms get to bowl in England.

Asif is the best bowler in the world at the moment, followed by Steyn and then Bollinger.

I'd disagree that Gul is better than Anderson, Onions, Broad or Sidebottom. He has recently been in terrible form. Moreover, noting that he has played in dire conditions at home is to misunderstand all of the games (bar perhaps the game against Sri Lanka, at which the quality of the pitch cannot really be too readily assessed because there was only one innings), at home, in which he has taken wickets.

Asif, on the other hand, has played barely any games at home and has done poorly when he has, with the exception of one match against India, which was, by and large, low scoring.

 

[Xuhaib]

I'd disagree that Gul is better than Anderson, Onions, Broad or Sidebottom. He has recently been in terrible form. Moreover, noting that he has played in dire conditions at home is to misunderstand all of the games (bar perhaps the game against Sri Lanka, at which the quality of the pitch cannot really be too readily assessed because there was only one innings), at home, in which he has taken wickets.

Asif, on the other hand, has played barely any games at home and has done poorly when he has, with the exception of one match against India, which was, by and large, low scoring.

Faisal Iqbal scoring a century = low scoring

Nah not buying that.