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***Official*** Pakistan in New Zealand 2016/17

Zinzan

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I'm dreading what your spinners will do to our batting line up considering the domestic results, we're giving Astle, Sodhi, Jeetan bag fulls of wickets... horrible.
Which is going to make it all the more funny when NZ win this Test series against the odds.
 

Black_Warrior

Cricketer Of The Year
Any word on the conditions and pitches?

New Zealand certainly favourites for the first test because I don't think Pakistan are as well prepared and as fit for this series as they were for the England series. They treated the England series like the most important series of their lives and the results showed in the first test win. But usually Pakistan almost always start very badly in an overseas series, losing the first test heavily often.

If it's seaming wicket and Pakistan bat first, this could be decided on the first day itself. I then expect Pakistan to regroup and bounce back in the second, making us rue the lack of a second test.

But then there's the counter to that - New Zealand. Pakistan have not lost a series in New Zealand since 84 and they almost always perform well here.

In recent times, they won the first test in 2001, 2003 and 2011, losing in 2009.

Both 2001 and 2003 were on the back of a fast bowler's brilliant show and the batting didn't really click.

In 2011 Pakistan produced a decent batting performance with almost the same batting line up as the current one. So fingers crossed.

Looking forward to the warm up game and see how they go.
 
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listento_me

U19 Captain
I'm sure Pakistan have won more tests against NZ than vice versa and Pakistan have won tests IN NZ with weaker sides than this, so I'm not sure why NZ are such favourites. What will let Pakistan down is if they have not properly prepared and the close proximity between this series and the last.

Pakistan can lose this and the only way NZ win is if they do.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
Nah, but if nothing else I say good on McCullum for firing back at Mark Reason. Reason got really nasty during the last couple years of McCullum's reign (particularly the thinly veiled accusations that McCullum was in Modi's pocket when he came forward regarding Cairns' match fixing) and imo it's only fair that he take the chance to call out Reason for the **** that he is.
I agree. Is it the prudent thing to do? Hell no. Reason will always get the last shot. But ****ed if Brendon should have to stand for the libellous crap that moron spews forth. If Brendon hadnt been dragged thru court already he might be inclined to take Mr Reason to task
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
Massive interest in whether they pick Gup or Jeet. Not sure 6 scores between 19 and 84 should be enough to unseat an incument who tonned up and did make a score of sorts in his last Test. I realise Ive completely changed my mind but when Jeet gets 4 innings on the EPOO road and cant convert any of those starts into scores v pretty average attacks (excepting Jeets) Im not sure that is the time to pick him.
 

The Hutt Rec

International Vice-Captain
Massive interest in whether they pick Gup or Jeet. Not sure 6 scores between 19 and 84 should be enough to unseat an incument who tonned up and did make a score of sorts in his last Test. I realise Ive completely changed my mind but when Jeet gets 4 innings on the EPOO road and cant convert any of those starts into scores v pretty average attacks (excepting Jeets) Im not sure that is the time to pick him.
Yep, Raval has been a disappointment this season. Seems stupid to replace Guptill with him when Guptill is in much better form.
 

Blocky

Banned
It's a great part of NZ Selector operating practice to select players when they're out of form, so expect Raval to get the call up.

As for Jeets, do you really think they're that stupid to go back to him after how ineffective he proved? Craig is a better off spinner than Jeets and gives you a steady hand in the batting side of things, but ultimately, we shouldn't be selecting a spinner in NZ conditions unless they're actually worthy of a test spot - if Santner isn't available, don't select a C Grade cricketer to replace him.
 

straw man

Hall of Fame Member
Yeah that's definitely dreaming. For starters, Jeets doesn't bowl the minimum one pie per over that Craig does. More generally, his control of length is vastly better.
 

Bahnz

Hall of Fame Member
Any word on the conditions and pitches?
Here's the video scorecard from the last fc game at Hagley oval

CANTERBURY vs CENTRAL STAGS

Pretty classic 4-day pitch, green and seamy on day 1, good for batting on day 2, starting to turn on day 3, and ragging on day 4.

And here's the score card from the last game at Seddon Park

NORTHERN DISTRICTS vs CANTERBURY

A batsman's nightmare on all 4 days (albeit aided from some pretty average batting by both sides).
 

Blocky

Banned
Yeah that's definitely dreaming. For starters, Jeets doesn't bowl the minimum one pie per over that Craig does. More generally, his control of length is vastly better.
Yet he takes less meaningful wickets, has never bowled New Zealand to a meaningful victory, has a much worser strike rate, is less trusted by his captains (and bowled less) and in matches that were won by NZ, was completely ineffective with an average of 54.81 vs Craig having an average of 26.72 in matches won.

And he can't bat. And he's no where near as good in the field as Craig is in the slips. And happens to only be in the running for selection because he's taken wickets in country cricket where Jesse Ryder and James Franklin are threatening bowlers.

Craig might bowl more rubbish, but when he gets it right, he's a threat.
Patel? Nope.
 

straw man

Hall of Fame Member
I think it's fair to disregard most of Patel's prior international career and only look at how he's gone a) in England Div 1 last couple seasons, b) NZ domestic last couple seasons, c) tour of India. No NZ domestic is not great, but England county cricket he's done brilliantly. He bowled reasonably well in India from what I saw. Good control a lot of the time. Had a couple edges past slip in addition to his wickets. Got hit out of the attack once but that was when we were already getting smashed. Like most spinners he does his best bowling and best wicket-taking when his side are on top, can have lots of men around the bat and the batsman knows he can't afford to get out. When you're well behind the game as in India you're relegated to bowling lots of overs to defensive fields, and he did that well too apart from one innings. Don't know where you got 'not trusted by his captain'.

Yes Craig is a better batsman (though Patel is not hopeless) and Craig is more valuable as a slip (though Patel has good hands, even if he's not as quick around the field as he used to be), however you pick the better bowler every time and that's Patel. 'When Craig gets it right' is not really the relevant thing here as it happens so rarely, and even when it does happen you still don't lose the pie-per-over. Craig has potential but it may need time elsewhere (perhaps County Cricket) to be realised.
 

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