England test tour of Pakistan December 2022

[Prince EWS]

They've all been extremely underwhelming for the last few years. No bowlers coming through because of the putrid domestic pitches and they just disregard QeA entirely to pick whichever new guy around the LO squad is in favour. Afridi missing out exposed the bare bowling stocks even more. They've picked several guys with no FC experience (Wasim, Rauf) over Abbas and Mir Hamza (best young FC seamer in the country). No idea what's the point of no rounders like Nawaz and Iftikhar but it does show a defensive mindset. Fawad Alam scored another ton today but they've found an excuse to axe him again. I expect to see horrible roads which will expose the poor bowling entirely and this will be made worse by Babar Azam not having any idea what to do with reverse swing. Naseem, Mir Hamza and Faheem would be an okayish pace attack in the absence of Shaheen and Fawad Alam would obviously make the middle order stronger especially on normal pitches but they've decided to settle for draws already it seems like. The new leggie Abrar Ahmad looks relatively exciting if I had to say one good thing about the squad. By the way, Nauman Uncle is averaging 50 this season.

7 Sajid

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Noted 30 year old youngster Mir Hamza ladies and gentlemen


Hopefully we get to see him bowling to another rising young talent in Shaun Marsh one day

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

http://www.howstat.com/cricket/statistics/batting/BattingHighSeries.asp

Where on this list will Root end up? Potentially 500+?

I think he'll have to bowl a lot this series, which won't help him.

 

[theegyptian]

lol basically 3 bowlers and then partimers.

 

[GIMH]

Livingstone playing then

 

[chris.hinton]

Great call picking Livingstone, He has been coached well and with practice will be one of the top 3 spinners in the world

 

[chris.hinton]

Cant see how Pakistan will score 300 in any of their innings. The Attack is just too good. Leach will contain, Livingstone will pick up wickets. Anderson will be at his very best. Robinson will be good foil and Stokes will mop it up if needed.

win in 3 days and easy

 

[Prince EWS]

Livingstone is clearly a worse bowler than Root IMO, which could mean the guy is batting 8 but the 6th bowler.

Surely you at least bat him ahead of Foakes if you pick him. Seems almost cruel.

 

[chris.hinton]

Livingstone has been coached well and will show great improvement in Pakistan...Exciting times

 

[trundler]

Haha I don't know how I overlooked the fact that he's 30 but he's got it all really. Wonderful bowler and has the best average in the nation. Gets prodigious swing, both conventional and reverse, and is quick enough.

Still living rent free in a most unenviable location despite a year on the ignore list though. Astounding lack of dignity.

 

[Socerer 01]

Great call picking Livingstone, He has been coached well and with practice will be one of the top 3 spinners in the world

alright this might be the biggest hyperbole I've ever seen

 

[Starfighter]

Is that seriously England's chosen team? Going in with three specialist bowlers on a pitch expected to resemble a billiard table is ITSTL. Stokes presumably going to flog himself into the ground again.

 

[Prince EWS]

Is that seriously England's chosen team? Going in with three specialist bowlers on a pitch expected to resemble a billiard table is ITSTL. Stokes presumably going to flog himself into the ground again.

It's always a good idea to make your only two proven Test-standard batsmen bowl heaps of overs on a road.

 

[Ashes81]

I think Duckett will open with Crawley, Brook at 5 and Jennings benched. Otherwise I reckon your team is what they'll go with (unless they prefer Jacks or Ahmed over Livingstone for the spin-bowling no rounder spot).

You were spot on mate.

I'm a bit surprised Jennings isn't playing as he's a very good player of spin, although so is Duckett.

Maybe they see Duckett as being a better long term prospect which he probably is.

I knew we'd pick Livingstone but God knows why, he doesn't even play red ball cricket for Lancs.

We should have either played Overton or Ahmed.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

To actually make a serious point about Hamza (which actually would be an intetesting discussion, but unfortunately that isn't going to happen) he does look a fairly skilful bowler, but not sure he really has the penetration against world class bats on flatter decks. Pace not too flash imo, low 130s tops any time I have seen him

Reading too much into a dumb young Shaun Marsh joke is pretty strange tstl

 

[trundler]

This is such an old timey English XI. Except there's no Bedser or Statham to do the donkey work and the spin bowling no rounder is 10 levels below the totally forgettable but not bad Illingworth. That leaves Stokes to do the Bailey work which.. sounds like a bad idea also.

 

[ataraxia]

It's going to be pretty **** when England win with... that.

 

[Prince EWS]

It's going to be pretty **** when England win with... that.

Livingstone scoring 120* (130) on Day 5.

 

[ataraxia]

Hopefully Crawley can kick on to a marvellous 15 (25).

 

[trundler]

It's going to be pretty **** when England win with... that.

Bat first, go big and we'll have the familiar sight of the Pakistani lower order Dilscooping to save the match in front of our eyes again soon enough.