This means the test series between ENG and PAK is clearly between the two most successful teams of 2011 and what a contest it should be! Good to see Wahab Riaz back in the Pakistani team, he is such a superb talent is Wahab, Junaid Khan is back as well and Pakistan will have to be at their best to beat ENG.

All in all ENG firm favorites for the tests, Pakistan favorites for the ODI's, although I hope Pakistan triumph in both, the toughest test for Pakistan since perhaps their last test series defeat tour (of ENG), can Misbah and his men beat the best? The warm ups start in just 6 days time!

lets face it, no body wants to see a test where 2-3 wickets (that too after much difficulty) fall in a day, players getting involved in 300 run + partnerships, it gets very very boring, looks like the bowler is just running up to bowl for the sake of it... I mean it just kills the game. The best matches are those like the recent one between Ind-Aus or the one between RSA-SLN where good batsmen (like Sanga, Ponting, Hashim) get those 100's and 50's and good bowlers also get their reward and you know there is always something happening with wickets falling in each session, it keeps you involved.

The inability of English batsmen to play quality spin on spinner friendly pitches is Pakistan's only hope... but then you don't predict too many things when you are talking about Pakistan... they can implode or they can explode the opposition.

Will also be interesting to see what line up PAK go in with, two spinners? if yes then which two fast bowlers will be preferred? Gul will be there I'd assume so will it be Wahab, Junaid or Cheema?

 

Bopara the man to watch out for, but I doubt if he will get a look in.

It won't be England vs Ajmal at all. Abdul Rehman and the other two seamers have done an equally good job over the year. All the success that Pakistan had was not because of Ajmal alone - everyone played part. for me the key will be PAk's batting - if they show the kind of resolve they did against South Africa in late 2010 - England will not find it easy to win. A drawn series is the most likely outcome but for sure there will be no thrashing of Pakistan.

Fortunately, you agreeing is not the license that Pakistan require to be recognized as a team that has improved significantly. you'd expect England to do well being the world number 1 - but I see enough spine in Pakistan to fight hard.  Winning won't be  easy but as Mikey said, a drawn series will be just as good. Fingers crossed.

 

Originally posted by zuhair_abbasi  A drawn series is the most likely outcome but for sure there will be no thrashing of Pakistan.

Yes I agree, on those pitches even and Associate team can't get thrashed. Batting paradises!.

Pakistan are a good side, their bowling is far more potent than any other sub continental team. Saeed was only a part of their success story last year, Zuhair is spot on, the best thing about Pakistan was that each and every member contributed to their success last year which is heartening to see.

They need to play 2 spinners, I'd agree on that, but I would go in with either Junaid or Wahab rather than Cheema. both Juniad and Wahab I believe are more talented and obviously younger than Cheema and should be picked ahead of him. Possibly for the first test it'll be good to have Junaid.

ENG have started off really well against ICC's associate's and affiliates XI reducing them to 91/6 at Lunch. Good start for ENG, but Pakistan will be an entirely different opposition.

 

I don't know who said on the forum , but someone said  that Day 2 & 3 will be batting paradises, but then India who won the toss should have ensured that they played till the end of day 2.They did not play well and lost the match, remember the day 1 - 13 wickets fell and then it changed on day 2 for sure, but it was known well in advance that Day 2 and 3 would be good for batting.

 

If at all the pitch stayed like that from Day 1 till the end of match I would rate it as batting paradise, so sorry it was not a batting paradise at all.

- Tendulkar needs to convert those big ones.

- Shewag should start playing with more caution oversears and put a target to himself

- Laxman,Gambhir needs show up big time

- Dravid needs to put few bricks in his dented wall (ala Ian Chappell ), I suppose it is better if he comes down the order (in Laxman's place) and contiributes with MSD and Ashwin to strengthen the lower order while get Rohit at #1 down slot.

 

Back to Eng Vs Pak , it seems Ajmal has some special deliver which he will unleash at the reigning champs.Can't wait for the show.

 

On England's make up , I guess they should play Swann and Panesar + 3 bowlers.

 

Anyway , I quite understand your enthusiasm mate. I too had the same experience in 90's  and early 2000's but just that it was other way round though.

As far as I know Pakistan have been constantly moving up the rankings since last 18 months and India are constantly moving down the rankings, that says a lot about the progress of the two sides. Pakistan at the moment are 5th and that is not bad at all.

Secondly, and while I agree then when India were No.1 they deserved to be No.1, at no point of time were they dominant. That word "Dominant" doesn't suit them at all.

If we look at their series outside India

- they won 1-0 against ENG (after rain prevented ENG from taking one last wicket at Lords) nonetheless this was an achievement

- lost 2-1 to SLN (2008)

- lost 2-1 to AUS (2007)

- Lost 2-1 against RSA (2006)

- Drew 1-1 against RSA (2010)

- Drew 1-1 against SLN (2010)

- won 1-0 against NZL (2008)

- won 1-0 against WI (twice 2007 and 2011)

- lost 1-0 to pakistan (2006)

How is the above dominant I do not understand???? 

You'd expect most teams to win in NZL and WI even away from home so that while a good achievement is nothing extraordinary, so India's only major win overseas in last 10 years is the one against ENG 1-0, that's all.

 

Right at the top of this thread , infact the very first introductory post , you arrived at some stats, wherin you placed Pakistan as #2 in both tests and odi's.You have been so vocal about overseas peformance, the pitches and opponents quality whenever you rate team.

 

I think you should know that of all the 10 test matches Pakistan played

- 2 against NZ in WI (Won series 1-0)

- 2 against WI in WI (drawn series 1-1 )

NOTE: I know you said most teams expect to win against these team home or away

 

- 2 against BAN in BAN (Won this 2-0 )

- 1 against ZIM in ZIM (Won this 1-0)

- 3 against SL in UAE (Won this 1-0)

 

I am sure you have followed all the matches, pitches and opposition very carefully.

As for Good teams being only 4, well I don't agree, how can NZL beat AUS in AUS when it is not a good team at all, how can SLN beat RSA in RSA (although just a game) when it is not a good team, how come Pakistan be undefeated since August 2010 when they are not a good team... I think you'd do well to give respect to other teams else you'll have to eat your own words very soon! If I'm not wrong you predicted India to win this 4-0, you thought India wouldn't lose a test series in next 4 years and what not!

The only thing you are partially right is about the "4 Years" stuff , my exact quotes from Nov 11 2010 Ind vs SA thread

 

"Looking into history makes sense , but then I haven't been so bullish about  England and Indian's chances this time around in the respective tours.

 

Comming back to Ind vs Aus, thread

I never made any prediction be 4-0 ... what I said was just a wish and it was in all fun , I even used the word "wonderland". I don't know how to explain you the differnece between wish and prediction

 

- If you remember correctly I had said that AUS losing to NZ was omnious signs for India in AUS vs NZ thread.

- I was among the the first few to say that Pattinson is the one to look out for and could make a huge difference.

 

I too can bring lot of things about your posts here and there, for example before the world cup you said that it (I mean the World Cup) was most important tournament, what happened now?. Just becuase India lost six test matches, why did you devalue it and try to mix different formats? be a sport mate.

 

One other thing, few guys have been very  positive about Kohli's prospects in tests even before Rohit, what happened now ... I never doubted his talent, Kohli is one among Indian future ... he will come good, but this is not the right time, Rohit deserves a place in test ahead of him.

as for me, please prove my statements wrong but do it the right way mate, in this very thread I've said that ENG are firm favts but you choose not to point that out, I've even said it's hard to imagine PAK beating ENG but may be you can't read that either, you only pick and choose and mis-quote people to prove them wrong, which is not right Raj.

Anyways, I care less about that, I hope PAK win, and I hope they win all three formats. It'll be difficult but Lets see what happens.

also I never devalued the WC win, infact I've only given more importance to it by saying a team winning such a major tournament is looked upon by many as the team to set standards, which BP doesn't agree with (which is absolutely fine as that is his opinion), may be you should argue with him on that not me.

anyways, why am I arguing with you? I don't want to because you don't talk fair mate, you are a nice guy, I don't have anything against you, your cricketing knowledge is very good, no doubting that, but please we are here to talk fair otherwise I'm just not responding to you.

 

Thousand reason!!! wow ... well I have close to 2000 posts and we don't have that many matches , neither that many topics in cricket including IPL! 

 

Originally posted by sam_ahmed  as for me, please prove my statements wrong but do it the right way mate, in this very thread I've said that ENG are firm favts but you choose not to point that out, I've even said it's hard to imagine PAK beating ENG but may be you can't read that either, you only pick and choose and mis-quote people to prove them wrong, which is not right Raj.

Probably taste of your own medicene.That is exactly what your have been doing with my posts , I have even given enough examples.

 

Originally posted by sam_ahmed also I never devalued the WC win, infact I've only given more importance to it by saying a team winning such a major tournament is looked upon by many as the team to set standards, which BP doesn't agree with (which is absolutely fine as that is his opinion), may be you should argue with him on that not me.

I don't have any problem with what BP said about that , he was absolutely right in pointing out that - Why India has to be questioned if they did not perform well in Test , he was absolutely right about fact that there is absolutely no connection between Test and ODI. He made a valid point regarding "No one questioned England when they lost 5-0 to India in ODI", coz by then England were "Test No 1"

Just to clarify for wider public against misleading my quotes , After Ashes defeat this is what I said in exactly a year back

 

6 Jan 2011 in Ashes Thread:

 

Posted in by Malhotraraj84 09 December 2011 West Indies in India (2011)
Sam, even if India's complete 11 second string players play for another 2-3 years, still they will be in top four.

 

I guess my posts are pretty clear about ranking and not about beating.

We do have replacements spin ,  agreed we may not be able to replace the exact class 

- Uthappa who is about 7-8 years younger to Shewag can be acheive 70-75% of what Shewag has acheived in test. I know many will not agree to what I have said.Rahane could well be the man to replace Gambhir when latter calls it quits.

- Pujara can match what Dravid achieved

- Tendulkar cannot be replaced ... that is impossbile just like replacing Warne/Lara is out of scope, that's impossbile but Rohit is the man who can average about higher 50's and take responsibility when touring overseas.I expect Rohit to average mid 50's.

- Kohli can for sure replace Laxman , he has to be drafted at right time though.

Yes Mystery, that is how it is with Raj. I'm not arguing anymore with you Raj, lets see for how long India stay in top 4 with their first choice line up. Having said that I'll be very happy if that happens, although I know it won't.

Right then, lets keep this thread for PAK v ENG, a couple of warm ups for ENG will be really good for them I think before the real thing starts, I must say this could be the most interesting series of the year, (along with ENG v RSA later in the year).

ENG will have to address their problems soon, PAK will be a lot stronger than the side which is playing. 

 

Next time will reply in relvant topic, but I wasn't the instigator who brought India in this thread.

Swann and Broad are good players at 7 and 8, esp considering the strength of the England's top 6. It looks unlikely though that they will, may be KP and Bopara will bowl a few overs (Bopara if he plays that is) I'd still prefer Morgan ahead of Bopara.

ENG won't be too happy with the way they won the warm up game, they will have to put things right very quickly. Also going by the fact that Pace bowlers did extremely well in the warm up game, I think pakistan would do well to play 3 pace bowlers (Gul, Wahab and Junaid) and two spinners (Ajmal and Hafeez).

This really is a very formidable PCB XI, a lot of fringe players in there and I'm delighted to see Mohammed Talha get 4 for and Yasir Shah get a 5 for, both these players can soon be in the main squad but then the main squad is damn good too, so they may have to wait!