• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

*Official* Australia vs Pakistan in England

Pothas

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
How bad we talking?

I know Hussey and Ponting have struggled a bit but Katich and Clarke must be averaging a fair amount in the last two years.

Main problem seems to be their tendancy to collapse of late rather than conistent mediocre scoring.
 

Top_Cat

Request Your Custom Title Now!
I checked out the batting records of every side in the post McGrath-Warne era, and you'd be suprised at just how ordinary Australia's batting has been in that period.
Yeah, this is true. Without Ponting and Hussey gunning it, exposes the rest of the line-up quite a bit.

Still, at worst, reckon OZ will be a middle-table team if for no other reason they're probably still good enough to beat any of the other teams at home. As Jack said in another thread, the system hasn't produced another generation of bankers but quite a few guys who'll always be competitive at least and quite good on their day.
 
Last edited:

Jarquis

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I believe Ponting is just ahead if Bell and some other mediocre Batsman (Vettori IIRC) whilst Hussey averages slightly less :ph34r:
 

vic_orthdox

Global Moderator
What to do about it though? Asking Katich for more runs is all well and good but a bit much considering the burden he's already shouldering.
I agree that Katich hasn't really been a vital problem. His scores between 50 and 100 mean that we've ended up with more scores around 250-350, instead of 450-500 like Australia got to in their prime. The problem has more been what happens after Katich gets out. Especially in a couple of situations in this series, when he was the second "in batsman" to get out, leaving two fresh ones at the crease.

It's still a bit criminal at that level to be getting out so often once you are in and settled though.
 

Top_Cat

Request Your Custom Title Now!
I agree that Katich hasn't really been a vital problem. His scores between 50 and 100 mean that we've ended up with more scores around 250-350, instead of 450-500 like Australia got to in their prime. The problem has more been what happens after Katich gets out. Especially in a couple of situations in this series, when he was the second "in batsman" to get out, leaving two fresh ones at the crease.

It's still a bit criminal at that level to be getting out so often once you are in and settled though.
Oh yeah, that he's been getting to 70-90 regularly and not getting past 100 is a problem for Kat. Pinning the batting order woes on his contributions is a bit much, though. It sucks momentum to have a settled guy get out randomly, yes, but surely this means the style of the rest of the order then needs to be changed. At 6 and 7 you have expansive shot-makers whereas, traditionally, you've had Steve Waugh/AB/Healy to grind out a surge by the opposition. This is another reason why I'm uncomfortable having Smith moved up to 6 too.

Getting the batting order balance right is harder than people give it credit for and, tbh, I'm not sure either.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Huge loss for Yorkshire on neutral test

From cricinfo.

£750k the mooted figure. Ouch.

Real shame if Pakistan have to go elsewhere for their neutral tests, cos both were top banana, but if Yorkshire can't turn a profit with Bradford & Huddersfield a stones throw away it makes you wonder of any ground outside of Lords can.
 

Fusion

Global Moderator
From cricinfo.

£750k the mooted figure. Ouch.

Real shame if Pakistan have to go elsewhere for their neutral tests, cos both were top banana, but if Yorkshire can't turn a profit with Bradford & Huddersfield a stones throw away it makes you wonder of any ground outside of Lords can.
That's a real shame. I was really hoping that England can become the long-term neutral venue for Pakistan. But if there is no local support by the Pakistani community, then I expect that the PCB will have no other choice but the UAE. I do have to wonder why Test matches are not scheduled to start on a Wednesday, thereby taking full advantage of the weekend (heck if it's Pakistan playing, then start on a Thursday because it ain't going the full 5 days for sure). May or may not have made a difference to the attendance in this case, but it's worth pondering IMO.
 

vic_orthdox

Global Moderator
Yeah, saw that the other day. Really disappointing figures, hopefully a strategy can be worked out to help neutralise the losses.
 

Spark

Global Moderator
Not scheduling on Wednesdays is a start. However now Pakistan have won a test I think we'll see better crowds.
 

Faisal1985

International Vice-Captain
30 pounds for a neutral game of Test cricket is pretty steep.
That's what i thought....kinda expensive.

But surely disappointing..i think Tests are not that popular among young generation Pakistanis all over the world. They want to see a quick fire T20 and that's it....

However, again i think it was a big helping hand to Pakistan Cricket by the ECB which is highly appreciated at least by me being a Pak cricket fan...helped us win the Test as well....tests in UAE would be a disaster IMO.
 

vic_orthdox

Global Moderator
What it will guarantee is some very entertaining matches when Pakistan play home games in England, as there will be no incentive for local groundsmen and associations to keep the match going five days. :ph34r:
 

Scaly piscine

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Yea there's a few things that didn't help, the scheduling was pretty naff to have them playing midweek. The weather didn't help. Then again you're not likely to get a more attractive opposition than Australia. It may be a case in future of the T20/ODIs partly subsidising the Tests, as the T20s did pretty well.
 

Black_Warrior

Cricketer Of The Year
That's a real shame. I was really hoping that England can become the long-term neutral venue for Pakistan. But if there is no local support by the Pakistani community, then I expect that the PCB will have no other choice but the UAE. I do have to wonder why Test matches are not scheduled to start on a Wednesday, thereby taking full advantage of the weekend (heck if it's Pakistan playing, then start on a Thursday because it ain't going the full 5 days for sure). May or may not have made a difference to the attendance in this case, but it's worth pondering IMO.
You know I think Bangladesh can be a good neutral venue for Pakistan..I dont understand why PCB never approached BCB.
Firstly, the conditions will be similar
weather will be similar
Pakistan does have significant support there.
 

Sir Alex

Banned
You know I think Bangladesh can be a good neutral venue for Pakistan..I dont understand why PCB never approached BCB.
Firstly, the conditions will be similar
weather will be similar
Pakistan does have significant support there.
Very good thought! And there weather allows cricket allround the year rain permitting (which I think is same as India's monsoon). It is certainly a viable option given the passion of the crowd there, and actually they'd get to see some "quality" encounters as well (no udisrespect to Bangaldeshi fans here)
 

Black_Warrior

Cricketer Of The Year
^ To be honest...I dont think there is a lot of difference between the two batting sides.. Infact, Tamim Iqbal is a better batsman than the current top 6 of Pakistan.
 

Top