Who would win a test series between NZ and West Indies if play started tomorrow?

[roseboy64]

For me both teams had moments where they dominated and neither could provide the final thrust.

 

[Xuhaib]

England being almost uniformly rubbish for the last 3 years and Pakistan facing a wholly uncertain immediate future - which, inevitably, leads to an uncertain present as well.

Despite being uniformly rubbish they were still able to beat NZl and Wi pretty easily and as for Pak they will play15 away tests in next 2 years years so even if there is no home cricket it still provides then enough cricket to keep themselves busy and the current ODI series against WI showed the talent class and depth is on a completley different level to WI and NZ.

 

[_Ed_]

So how familiar are you with the domestic ranks in WI and NZ? I think it's both ignorant and arrogant to assume that Pakistan is "on a completely different level".

 

[Athlai]

A full strength Pakistan WOULD be on a different level to WI-NZ unfortunately that doesn't exist and they are very very much in the same playing field.

 

[_Ed_]

A full strength Pakistan WOULD be on a different level to WI-NZ unfortunately that doesn't exist and they are very very much in the same playing field.

Yeah maybe, at the very top at least. Pakistan's very best players are indeed a class above most of ours. But I don't agree with his statement that Pakistan's depth is on a completely different level - the depth doesn't seem to be there at all for Pakistan to me. Admittedly I'm not overly familiar with their domestic level though so I may be off the mark there.

 

[Xuhaib]

So how familiar are you with the domestic ranks in WI and NZ? I think it's both ignorant and arrogant to assume that Pakistan is "on a completely different level".

Past record is a good indicator and Pakistan has been a superior outfit to NZL and Windies of the last 10 years and yes I am not very familiar with the domestic ranks of the two countries but history shows that Pak domestic structure despite being poor still produces more quality cricketers then NZL and recent WI and judging by the recent series between WI-NZL where I did not not come across and standout young player so I dont see that changing.

 

[Xuhaib]

Yeah maybe, at the very top at least. Pakistan's very best players are indeed a class above most of ours. But I don't agree with his statement that Pakistan's depth is on a completely different level - the depth doesn't seem to be there at all for Pakistan to me. Admittedly I'm not overly familiar with their domestic level though so I may be off the mark there.

Pakistan has played zero cricket in last one year so that makes judging their depth a tad difficult.

 

[_Ed_]

I did not not come across and standout young player so I dont see that changing.

Fair enough, I thought I saw lots of promising talent on both sides (Flynn, Ryder, J.Taylor, Edwards) and some real class from established players (Vettori on a flat track in Dunedin, O'Brien's six wicket haul, Gayle's massive effort in Napier, Chanderpaul, McCullum's brief but scintillating effort on the last day of the series). You're entitled to your opinion though.

 

[_Ed_]

Pakistan has played zero cricket in last one year so that makes judging their depth a tad difficult.

Fair comment. I was referring to some of the guys who have played in ODIs in that time though that I don't rate particularly highly - Saeed Ajmal for one, and maybe Khurram Manzoor although the latter is young enough to prove me wrong in time.

 

[Xuhaib]

Fair comment. I was referring to some of the guys who have played in ODIs in that time though that I don't rate particularly highly - Saeed Ajmal for one, and maybe Khurram Manzoor although the latter is young enough to prove me wrong in time.

Yup spin bowling is an area of concern for us as we don't have anyone promising coming through, as for Manzoor he is pretty ok and can forge out a decent career though I think there are atleast 2 (possibly 3) openers more deserving then him.

 

[Xuhaib]

Fair enough, I thought I saw lots of promising talent on both sides (Flynn, Ryder, J.Taylor, Edwards) and some real class from established players (Vettori on a flat track in Dunedin, O'Brien's six wicket haul, Gayle's massive effort in Napier, Chanderpaul, McCullum's brief but scintillating effort on the last day of the series). You're entitled to your opinion though.

Will hold back my judgment for Flynn and Ryder atleast till they play a bit more. Edwards has improved but still too inconsistent and Kiwis has a habbit of making any speedy bowler look good so again some reservations there as for Taylor I feel he has kinda regressed or stagnated as a bowler in the last year or two.

 

[Athlai]

Edwards and Taylor also did very well against Australia.

 

[Richard]

Edwards in fact averages 25 in his last 6 matches.

Still, don't see it lasting TBH. Edwards has just never struck me as all that good. Averaged 50 in his previous 25.

 

[Richard]

As for Taylor he's been a bowler who's always had his moments but it's been the same all career - they've been too few and far between.

 

[Richard]

Despite being uniformly rubbish they were still able to beat NZl and Wi pretty easily

Yup. I just wonder how easily we'll beat WI in the upcoming away series (should still be straightforward at home, and it's only a two-Test series anyway) though. And it should be noted that the recent victories over NZ were anything but easy - we had to fight all the way for the victories both away and home.

 

[GIMH]

We had to fight for a couple of them, there was an innings win thrown in the mix though

 

[Xuhaib]

Yup. I just wonder how easily we'll beat WI in the upcoming away series (should still be straightforward at home, and it's only a two-Test series anyway) though. And it should be noted that the recent victories over NZ were anything but easy - we had to fight all the way for the victories both away and home.

Still 4-1 is comprehensive enough to declare one team as superior to the other.

 

[Richard]

We had to fight for a couple of them, there was an innings win thrown in the mix though

Yeah, when they had about 20 players missing and we had just the 1.

 

[Richard]

Still 4-1 is comprehensive enough to declare one team as superior to the other.

England were the better side, but the 4-1 scoreline could quite easily have been 3-2 if not even closer. England had to come from 1-0 down to win the away series and only won a comfortable victory after NZ lost players to injury, and were one brilliant spell and one brilliant innings away from going 0-1 down with 1 to play in the home one.

 

[GIMH]

Yeah, when they had about 20 players missing and we had just the 1.

Anderson would have got Bradman & Hobbs out five times each the way he bowled in that match