***Official*** England in Pakistan

[godofcricket]

I feel england will win the tests 2-1(i am definte about pak winning atleast one of the three) the main problem is pakistan still lacks those consistent openers, and englands problem is their middle-order, Bell, Vaughan and pieterson havent been that consistent.....whereas Inzamam, youhana and Younis have been scoring runs and are in good form....bowling seems to be balanced. So it will be a very tough test series.....and i wont say england will win it comfortably.

In ODI's i can predict Pak winning 3-2....if afridi can give similar starts the way he has for some time then i can say the home team will always have the upper hand.

 

[Beleg]

I'd say it's a distinct possibility but it doesn't depend on England at all, it completely depends what Pakistan turns up in the Test series.

I don't even think it is a 'distinct' possibility. The thing with Pakistan is that they don't usually play horribly bad for long stretches of time. Nor do they play extremely well for long stretches of time, for that matter. Even when Aussie's whitewashed us in the last two series (neither of them played IN Pakistan, btw), It took an all-time great performance from Gilly/Langer to win the Hobart test which Pakistan dominated for long intervals of time - and Pakistan were well on their way to win the first test at colombo (with a freshie line-up at that) before Warnie spun his magic and shattered our line-up. To go 3-0 down, Pakistan will have to play really, totally shockingly, horribly bad - with England firing on all (most) cylinders and Pakistani cricket administeration creating new records of inaptitude.

Could happen individually - but all at once? Not a realistic chance.

none of the current English batsmen are proven at all in Pakistani conditions. (apart from Flintoff in ODI's, but that's a totally different ballgame). While your bowlers may dominate our batsmen under standard conditions, Pakistan can always produce a 1981 Faisalabad and there won't be a thing England could do about that except playing to a draw.

 

[PY]

So even at their best, Pakistan can't beat England at home? I like the sound of that.

If England play as they have been this summer and Simon Jones is fit, I reckon my rose-tinted predictions will prove accurate.

Guess that means it does depend on the England performances a little then.....oh I've confused myself.

 

[PY]

I don't even think it is a 'distinct' possibility. The thing with Pakistan is that they don't usually play horribly bad for long stretches of time. Nor do they play extremely well for long stretches of time, for that matter. Even when Aussie's whitewashed us in the last two series (neither of them played IN Pakistan, btw), It took an all-time great performance from Gilly/Langer to win the Hobart test which Pakistan dominated for long intervals of time - and Pakistan were well on their way to win the first test at colombo (with a freshie line-up at that) before Warnie spun his magic and shattered our line-up. To go 3-0 down, Pakistan will have to play really, totally shockingly, horribly bad - with England firing on all (most) cylinders and Pakistani cricket administeration creating new records of inaptitude.

Could happen individually - but all at once? Not a realistic chance.

none of the current English batsmen are proven at all in Pakistani conditions. (apart from Flintoff in ODI's, but that's a totally different ballgame). While your bowlers may dominate our batsmen under standard conditions, Pakistan can always produce a 1981 Faisalabad and there won't be a thing England could do about that except playing to a draw.

Fair points all but I just think of how bad I've seen Pakistan in the past and that's what I judge it on I guess.

'Distinct' doesn't mean I expect it to happen (maybe I've used the wrong word) but in my mind, I can see it. We'll have to wait and see but I doubt it will be a whitewash and I hope it isn't.

 

[Barney Rubble]

If England play as they have been this summer and Simon Jones is fit, I reckon my rose-tinted predictions will prove accurate.

Guess that means it does depend on the England performances a little then.....oh I've confused myself.

If Simon Jones is fit, I'd back a 2-0 England win I think. I can't see Pakistan's pace attack having the firepower to bowl England out, and with England having faced Warne for the past two months, Danish Kaneria is going to have to do something special in order not to seem ordinary by comparison.

Pakistan's lack of a solid opening pair could hurt them - if they find themselves losing wickets and exposing their middle order (which they will if Afridi's opening the batting, as he's hardly the "see off the new ball" type) before the ball has even started reverse-swinging, they're behind the 8-ball right from the off.

Also, I think Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen's experience this summer will serve them in great stead, and the Pakistani bowlers will have a nightmare against Pietersen if they get it wrong first up, having never played him before. Bell could be in for some runs, and the new-ball bowlers will have their hands full with Trescothick and Strauss in good form at the moment.

If England do win the Ashes, the confidence factor may mean they go on and absolutely flatten Pakistan, so Inzamam will have to be right on top of his game to avoid letting Vaughan's boys get the upper hand.

 

[Beleg]

ah, fair enough.

 

[aussie]

As far as I'm concerned, he's either one or the other.

Needs to make his mind up.

both......

 

[twctopcat]

both......

I'm afraid that isn't good enough. It's like supporting city and utd today, just isn't right!!

 

[aussie]

I'm afraid that isn't good enough. It's like supporting city and utd today, just isn't right!!

mayn i know what i'm doing when Australia & England play i support australia, when England play somelse i support them, when Australia play i support them, its simple dawg. That double minded attitude is only with cricket, with football i'm totally England & Man U.

 

[social]

Should Bell and Jones be picked in the first test?

Bell - Kaneria and Afridi should run through him without any problems

Jones - hopeless wicket keeper that will be further exposed on low bouncing Pakistani wickets

 

[aussie]

yea England will have to look at Bell's position no doubt, but the thing is i dont think either key nor Joyce are better players of spin either, maybe Butcher could come in their.

 

[Barney Rubble]

yea England will have to look at Bell's position no doubt, but the thing is i dont think either key nor Joyce are better players of spin either, maybe Butcher could come in their.

Bell won't be dropped. The selectors have given more than one indication that they are willing to give him as much time as it takes for him to adjust to Test cricket, because they believe he is England's next Graham Thorpe or Mike Atherton - and I'm inclined to agree with them.

Anyway, as I've pretty much already said, once you've faced Warne on top of his game for 5 Tests, Kaneria and Afridi are going to be child's play. Once Bell finds out he doesn't have to worry about reading the slider he'll be so elated he'll smash a 40-ball century.

 

[aussie]

hmm didn't think about it that way, well then maybe their is still hope for the warwickshire man.

 

[Tom Halsey]

I'm afraid that isn't good enough. It's like supporting city and utd today, just isn't right!!

Speaking of which, what a ****ing joke.

 

[Barney Rubble]

hmm didn't think about it that way, well then maybe their is still hope for the warwickshire man.

Well to be honest, he could hardly look more stressed out than he does when he faces Warne, could he? He doesn't strike me as having any particular technical flaws or mental ones, he just can't read Warne's slider, and keeps getting good balls from the quicks. He'll be alright this winter.

 

[aussie]

Speaking of which, what a ****ing joke.

dont be laughing Man U tom, it was a fluke from Barton anyway

 

[open365]

Should Bell and Jones be picked in the first test?

Bell - Kaneria and Afridi should run through him without any problems

Jones - hopeless wicket keeper that will be further exposed on low bouncing Pakistani wickets

England will pick the same 11 players they have played all the way through the ashes with whether they should or not is a different matter.

personally,i love the selection policy where players get long runs in the side even if they aren't doing well.Bell will come out of this series a far better player and make runs in Pakistan.Kaneria is good but not in the same leauge as warne.

Jones is a hopeless wickie but with the current England setup jones' batting outweighs his keeping errors.

who would you rather play with?

jones,prior or read?

prior is a great one day batsman and a great prospect but his keeping is even worse than jones' and he only averaged 35 in fc cricket this season.

read on the other hand is a fantastic keeper but his batting is poor,did you see the chris cairns yorker he tried to duck?

out of all the wicket keepers in England atm i could only envisage jones' playing come Pakistan and rightly so.

 

[social]

Well to be honest, he could hardly look more stressed out than he does when he faces Warne, could he? He doesn't strike me as having any particular technical flaws or mental ones, he just can't read Warne's slider, and keeps getting good balls from the quicks. He'll be alright this winter.

No apparent flaws except that he doesnt move his feet to any bowlers and has shown poor shot selection.

Make or break winter for him but Im tipping Kumble, Harby, Kaneria (a very fine bowler), Afridi (challenging Flintoff as the world's best all-rounder) and Shoaib will prove to be another bridge too far.

No comments on Jones?

 

[PY]

Afridi (challenging Flintoff as the world's best all-rounder)

Thanks for making me deposit coffee onto my laptop.

 

[social]

England will pick the same 11 players they have played all the way through the ashes with whether they should or not is a different matter.

personally,i love the selection policy where players get long runs in the side even if they aren't doing well.Bell will come out of this series a far better player and make runs in Pakistan.Kaneria is good but not in the same leauge as warne.

Jones is a hopeless wickie but with the current England setup jones' batting outweighs his keeping errors.

who would you rather play with?

jones,prior or read?

prior is a great one day batsman and a great prospect but his keeping is even worse than jones' and he only averaged 35 in fc cricket this season.

read on the other hand is a fantastic keeper but his batting is poor,did you see the chris cairns yorker he tried to duck?

out of all the wicket keepers in England atm i could only envisage jones' playing come Pakistan and rightly so.[/QUOT

If I was bowling, I'd hate to have a w/k that is less than even money of accepting even a straight forward chance.

As for Bell, what is all the fuss about?

So he scored a few runs against no-name opposition. He is not within light years of being Eng's no. 4 at the moment and will be cannon fodder for the Indians and ***** on their wickets on current form.