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**Official** Pakistan and England in the UAE 2015/16

aussie

Hall of Fame Member
Stokes is a better Test batsman than Bairstow by quite some way IMO, his problem is his inconsistency.

As for Pietersen, don't talk bollocks.
Stokes inconsistency is why he is not perfect at # 6 as yet in tests - although he has all the talent to be long term.

Stokes has taken to international cricket as batsman better than Bairstow in general, but Bairstow is definately a top 6 batsman by trait.

So you are saying its indeed bollocks that Pietersen arguably England's greatest player of spin in test history would make ENG middle-order stronger right now, if it wasn't for the ECB's producing one of the most shameful and vindictive campaign in English sport history to keep him out the team?
 

aussie

Hall of Fame Member
I think there was a lot of merit in taking a Tredwell/Batty on this tour as I've said in the past. They may not be the greatest spinners but they know their own game, are experienced, and can bowl 6 deliveries in basically the same spot. You can see with Ali today his confidence draining and not really understanding how to counter Pakistan sweeping him off his length. Rashid I feel knows that bit more about his game and how he can gets batsmen out but he gives you one bad ball an over and is a bit slow for really good players.

Rashid I think actually bowled all right this test even though he's only taken 1 wicket. A little better than I expected.

Ali bowls some good balls but doesn't seem to have the consistency or guile to really work over good batsmen. It feels like ideally he needs 3 or 4 years in county cricket to really work on first landing the offbreak in the same place ball after ball, and then learning about the subtle variations needed to work over good batsman - and how to counter opposition attacking him.

Today was a thankless task. They both in essence look like international class 'occasional bowlers' or stretching it '2nd spinners'. Both are overexposed here. Isn't there fault that they're the best we've got, but not quite good enough.

India next year should be fun.
And I would argue PAK batsmen would not have allowed them to bowl six balls on same spot and instead would have been hit off their length. Realistically if Panesar was bowling well, he would have been the bowler to trust in this role as he did in India 2012.
 

Black_Warrior

Cricketer Of The Year
So you are saying its indeed bollocks that Pietersen arguably England's greatest player of spin in test history would make ENG middle-order stronger right now, if it wasn't for the ECB's producing one of the most shameful and vindictive campaign in English sport history to keep him out the team?

I don't think anyone is doubting his ability. It's the same issue as the Gayle one in the West Indies-Sri Lanka thread. They team management, whether rightly or not, have decided to move on from these players. Now we can keep talking about "if KP/Gayle played" but it's not going to amount to much and after a point people just get bored. I am a huge KP fan, but I have now moved on from the subject. England are not going to pick him...so it's better to talk about what's realistically going to happen, rather than something that's not going to happen.
 

flibbertyjibber

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So I guess the declaration will be an hour after lunch or 500 lead whichever comes first depending how slowly England bowl.
 

Black_Warrior

Cricketer Of The Year
I recon they should declare during lunch and come out fresh to bowl. No point wasting time here. Not that we're expecting rain, but you want to give England more time, not less..
 

Adders

Cricketer Of The Year
So you are saying its indeed bollocks that Pietersen arguably England's greatest player of spin in test history would make ENG middle-order stronger right now, if it wasn't for the ECB's producing one of the most shameful and vindictive campaign in English sport history to keep him out the team?
Look here dumbass, he's not playing and not going to be again in yours or my lifetime.....most of the world has moved on and accepted this fact of life whatever their opinion on the matter. Once again you're polluting the wrong thread with your boring as bat**** opinions.......there is a thread for this topic but please don't ask me to link it because quite frankly I like most England fans are sick of hearing about Kevin ****ing Peitersen.
 
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wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
Look here dumbass, he's not playing and not going to be again in yours or my lifetime.....most of the world has moved on and accepted this fact of life whatever their opinion on the matter. Once again you're polluting the wrong thread with your boring as bat**** opinions.......there is a thread for this topic but please don't ask me to link it because quite frankly I like most England fans are sick of hearing about Kevin ****ing Peitersen.
Dead right.
Perhaps it's worth adding that one or two people seem to have conveniently forgotten how little Pietersen contributed last time were were in this part of the world.
Averaged about 10 didn't he?
 
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JTemperance

Cricket Spectator
It's a black mark for a commentator that refers to someone as "a good young player" when that player will actually be turning 30 in a few months, debuted in 2010 and has played 40 Test matches.
 

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
I think there was a lot of merit in taking a Tredwell/Batty on this tour as I've said in the past. They may not be the greatest spinners but they know their own game, are experienced, and can bowl 6 deliveries in basically the same spot. You can see with Ali today his confidence draining and not really understanding how to counter Pakistan sweeping him off his length. Rashid I feel knows that bit more about his game and how he can gets batsmen out but he gives you one bad ball an over and is a bit slow for really good players.

Rashid I think actually bowled all right this test even though he's only taken 1 wicket. A little better than I expected.

Ali bowls some good balls but doesn't seem to have the consistency or guile to really work over good batsmen. It feels like ideally he needs 3 or 4 years in county cricket to really work on first landing the offbreak in the same place ball after ball, and then learning about the subtle variations needed to work over good batsman - and how to counter opposition attacking him.

Today was a thankless task. They both in essence look like international class 'occasional bowlers' or stretching it '2nd spinners'. Both are overexposed here. Isn't there fault that they're the best we've got, but not quite good enough.

India next year should be fun.

The fact that you're dead right on all counts is one of the most damning indictments of a supposedly first class cricket system that I've read in a very long time.
 

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