England Cricket 2016 - Sri Lanka & Pakistan

Hafeez & Younis are in there for their reputations. Done feck all all tour. Azhar's the same.
 
Skills said:
A bit harsh on hafeez. Isn't he top scoring after Misbah?
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He's got a couple of starts but hasn't kicked on. He has the experience and quality to do so much better. We rely too much on Misbah, the other senior players should be doing much better.
 
Showing some grit here but making no runs at all. Once they start going for their shots.. you do worry wickets will falll.
 
ha_rooney said:
He's got a couple of starts but hasn't kicked on. He has the experience and quality to do so much better. We rely too much on Misbah, the other senior players should be doing much better.
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Agreed, he really should've cashed on his starts. But he's at least looked competent unlike anyone else in the top 4.
 
Was there a late start? Only 19 overs bowled this morning, with lunch at 1?
 
Solid stuff from Pakistan but you'd hope at some point these two will be slightly more aggressive, but not stupid. Quite nice to see someone other than Misbah looking to build an innings.

If we can get to around 200 for only 3 wickets, would put us in a great position. Still worry a collapse is around the corner.
 
You said it perfectly. Pakistan are doing really well here, but if one falls, you wouldn't be surprised to see them end the day 7 down for 200.
 
Boycott probably creaming himself at this.

Proof that occupying the crease batting time and playing the ball on its merit is a sound strategy on cricket. Who knew?
 
They are really going after Ali. If he can't tie up and end it'll put a lot of pressure on the seamers.
 
Swann makes a good point on how Ali never seems to have an ally on the pitch. No-one to come to him & bounce ideas around with. He's on his own as a bowler with no help.
 
Cheap wicket for Pakistan to give away, but one we really, really needed!
 
Great knock by Aslam all things considered. Played smart cricket - why wasn't he picked ahead of Shan Masood sooner
 
Younus playing on the edge here - Literally.

England need to take four more before close for me.
 
Disagree - I think they're great :D They've got some great spirit.
 
Anderson could be booted out.

He's been a moany twat as it is, these warnings won't help.
 
Younus is a walking wicket here. Has he always been like this? How is he averaging 53 in tests.
 
New ball time. Can't afford to lose too many wickets now, have a great foundation to build upon.
 
Ah just leave it! Ffs.

Still a great day for Pakistan & in a very good position to get a lead of 100+. Good patience shown for once from the batsmen. Need to build on this tomorrow & look to bat most the day.
 
Lapse in concentration but in fairness thats probably a match winning knock.
 
I think England continuing to bat last match and humiliating the Pakistan side last game has really pumped Pakistan up... have not seen them ever show grit like they did yesterday. Today is crucial though.. if we don't get a huge first innings lead - all that effort will be in vain.
 
I used to hate Warney as a player (well all the Aussies really, they were that good and absolute cnuts at the same time) but i actually like him in the commentary box, says some silly things but also a lot of interesting things too.
 
Ole's_toe_poke said:
Younus is a walking wicket here. Has he always been like this? How is he averaging 53 in tests.
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Is one of the mentally stronger Pak batsmen, he's just getting old and reflexes slowing down.
 
2mufc0 said:
I used to hate Warney as a player (well all the Aussies really, they were that good and absolute cnuts at the same time) but i actually like him in the commentary box, says some silly things but also a lot of interesting things too.
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He's a rubbish pundit to be blunt, he's just done a piece assessing why Pakistan bowled better than England and surmised that they attacked the stumps better whilst showing 3 dismissals of England playing balls that weren't hitting the stumps.
 
ArmchairCritic said:
He's a rubbish pundit to be blunt, he's just done a piece assessing why Pakistan bowled better than England and surmised that they attacked the stumps better whilst showing 3 dismissals of England playing balls that weren't hitting the stumps.
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I don't think he is. He's often insufferable and prone to contradicting himself because he never shuts up, but he obviously knows a lot about the game and generally, even in his most irritating wanking over generic leg-spin, will say something insightful.

I'd rather listen to him than Ramiz Raja, who states the obvious and, when he decides to attempt analysis, is just often wrong.
 
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NinjaFletch said:
I don't think he is. He's often insufferable and prone to contradicting himself because he never shuts up, but he obviously knows a lot about the game and generally, even in his most irritating wanking over generic leg-spin, will say something insightful.

I'd rather listen to him than Ramiz Raja, who states the obvious and, when he decides to attempt analysis is just often wrong.
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Ramiz is definitely worse, however Warne's attempt at a hatchet job on Cook a few Ashes back (2013 I think) was absolutely incredible to hear from a professional and extremely distasteful. Especially considering his love-in for Clarke in the same series, he went down a lot in my estimation that series and he's been getting gradually more irritating to me ever since really, he talks so much that he's bound to say something right eventually I suppose.
 
ArmchairCritic said:
Ramiz is definitely worse, however Warne's attempt at a hatchet job on Cook a few Ashes back (2013 I think) was absolutely incredible to hear from a professional and extremely distasteful. Especially considering his love-in for Clarke in the same series, he went down a lot in my estimation that series and he's been getting gradually more irritating to me ever since really, he talks so much that he's bound to say something right eventually I suppose.
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Yeah, that was OTT. I don't know how much it was meant as it came across though. There was a grain of truth to what he was saying (and Cook's markedly improved since then) but he did his normal thing of relentlessly droning on about the same thing.

I guess he's probably better doing the third man stints. Partly because I don't think they create those packages on their own, but also because it gives you a condensed view into what he's thinking - which is probably reasonably perceptive - without having to hear him say the same thing in 31 different ways for the next half an hour.

Edit: Oh I forgot, his most annoying trait is constructing a narrative based on what he wants to see rather than whats actually happening. See: Sohail yesterday and Yasir at Lords
 
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