I think they should show more of that game being played on the concrete strip & sand outfield.
English cricket 2015 - NZ, The Ashes, Pak and SA
- Thread starter Samid
- Start date
Can't they just call it a draw now? It was obvious on day 1 that as long as England didn't implode, this was always going to be a draw.
That said Pakistan do have a habit of collapsing
That said Pakistan do have a habit of collapsing
Can't they just call it a draw now? It was obvious on day 1 that as long as England didn't implode, this was always going to be a draw.
That said Pakistan do have a habit of collapsing
To be fair, I have no confidence in this part of the English batting line up. Who knows? Maybe you could be batting again by tonight.
Crap pitch or not, Cook's been mighty impressive.
In regards to Cook, could he do it?
Including this match he's scored 9567 runs at 47.5 in 120 matches. In other words, in every match he scores on average 95 runs. Tendulkar scored 15921, therefore Cook would get there in about just under 70 tests.
England will play 13 test matches this year so at that rate Cook would reach that in about 5 years, at the age of 35.
Including this match he's scored 9567 runs at 47.5 in 120 matches. In other words, in every match he scores on average 95 runs. Tendulkar scored 15921, therefore Cook would get there in about just under 70 tests.
England will play 13 test matches this year so at that rate Cook would reach that in about 5 years, at the age of 35.
If he keeps playing on pitches like this he'll beat Sachin next year.
Honestly, I've no idea. Cook is a born athlete, and if his feet and brain can stick with the rest of his body, then I don't see any reason why he can't continue to play until 35-40.
Honestly, I've no idea. Cook is a born athlete, and if his feet and brain can stick with the rest of his body, then I don't see any reason why he can't continue to play until 35-40.
Given England seem to play more test matches than others, if Cook stays fit and motivated, he has a good shot at Sachin's aggregate score. In 9 years, he has played 120 tests. Sachin on other hand played 200 in 24 years. Generally it is better to consider around 1.5-1.6 innings per test due to rains and other circumstances. That way it will take Cook at least 6 years I to reach Sachin's aggregate. He will be 37 by then. Let's see.
After player is 34-35 and he goes through bad patch in between, the voices to drop him and replace with young guys get louder. Sachin for Indians is god and even with him, towards last couple of years of his career many fans who loved him got frustrated with him for not retiring. I doubt English fans will be that considerate towards Cook if he hits a rough patch at 34-35 years age.
After player is 34-35 and he goes through bad patch in between, the voices to drop him and replace with young guys get louder. Sachin for Indians is god and even with him, towards last couple of years of his career many fans who loved him got frustrated with him for not retiring. I doubt English fans will be that considerate towards Cook if he hits a rough patch at 34-35 years age.
Let's be honest though, it'll be a little bit like Rooney taking England's all time goalscoring record... Kinda. Cook is a better cricketer than Rooney is a footballer, but like Wayne is no Charlton, Cook is no Sachin.
A great, great player though... Trying not to be too harsh on him, as I think he's awesome.
A great, great player though... Trying not to be too harsh on him, as I think he's awesome.
This is an appalling pitch. Pakistan's cricket authorities should be punished for it.
Course it would, but its a little bit horses for courses though. I doubt Sachin would have that record if he'd have spent his career opening the batting in England and I similarly doubt Cook would have Sachin's record for hundreds if he'd spent his career batting in the subcontinent.
Well done to Cook, btw
True that. An in-form Cook is a real contender for an all-time England XI, if not a sure bet. The real question is, by the end of his career, where will he rank against other openers.
Good 50 from Stokes after a very shaky start.
I was just thinking about something similar myself.
If Cook breaks that record he'll unquestionably be remembered as England's best ever but lets say he retired today, in ten years time who would be regarded as better Cook or Pietersen?
Cook in tests, KP in limited overs. I don't think that's really up for debate, honestly.
Spinner gets a wicket! Get in!
Again... this.
Actually I don't think its as clear cut as you're making out, if I'd asked the question during the run of games where Cook couldn't buy a hundred I don't think we'd get the same answers.
I'd argue KP's best test knocks are more memorable than Cook's though, which tends to influence those debates a lot more than the cold hard facts.
I'd go for that way of thinking too, mind, but I wonder if Cook's reputation will suffer the further away we get from seeing him play.
Put it this way, in 30/40 years time when journo's pen those sort of hyperbolic articles about the players that excited them when they were younger - the likes you see about Garfield Sobers - they'll unquestionably be about Pietersen smashing Brett Lee for six with the ashes on the line in 2005 or putting the spinners into the stands in Mumbai when others could barely get it off the square (although I think Cook also scored a 100 in that game too, which is sorta my point) I don't think Cook stirs up that same emotion.
I'd argue KP's best test knocks are more memorable than Cook's though, which tends to influence those debates a lot more than the cold hard facts.
I'd go for that way of thinking too, mind, but I wonder if Cook's reputation will suffer the further away we get from seeing him play.
Put it this way, in 30/40 years time when journo's pen those sort of hyperbolic articles about the players that excited them when they were younger - the likes you see about Garfield Sobers - they'll unquestionably be about Pietersen smashing Brett Lee for six with the ashes on the line in 2005 or putting the spinners into the stands in Mumbai when others could barely get it off the square (although I think Cook also scored a 100 in that game too, which is sorta my point) I don't think Cook stirs up that same emotion.
Kev played a fair few game changing innings. Ultimately, these will be largely forgotten, due to a combination of his personality and his tendency to fail under pressure. Add his bizarre attempt at captaincy, where he seemed to think he was king of English cricket, and there is plenty of reason to wish to forget.
I'd suspect its that stuff that would be forgotten tbh.
Most of the cricketers form the 70-80s were deeply flawed, Botham even had a similarly unsuccessful stint as captain amongst his other controversies, but no one really cares about that anymore.
Cookie
I think the issue as to whether he was genuinely English will make the difference. He lost that battle, when it was discovered he sent those texts. It's utterly ridiculous but it will be remembered,
KP won england an ashes along with flintoff, dont think cook has done anything like that in his career.
Yeah, he has. He was our best player when we won over there.
England missing a trick here, should've declared when Cook got out.
2010/11 down under he was player of the series, scoring 766 runs (Trott second with 445, KP third with 360).
Scores 235 not out to save the first test.
148 in the second test (KP scored 227) to help win the test.
82 in the fourth test.
189 in the fifth test.
Cook won an Ashes series playing unbelievably well.
I guess its impossible to know though. I don't think Greig's been tainted by his 'lack of Englishness' despite being born in South Africa and taking the authorities to court over his desire to play in WSC.
I guess the big question is will KP be remembered for how good he was at cricket or for being a bit of a cnut.
I think Cook unquestionably did. 700+ runs in one series in Australia is no mean feat.
Indeed. A fascinating question for all. I do suspect the latter will count a lot. He was key to our greatest ever Ashes win and instrumental in our T20 world cup victory but ultimately, he was a cnut.
Wasnt that australia side very poor by their usual standards though? Dont think it had the same aura as the 2005 side. Think thats why cook's innings dont stick to mind like flintoffs and KP. That ashes was magical and to be honest had forgotten about the 2011 one. Think you guys whitewashed them after this one when they visited?
3-0 to us, after which they bested us 5-0 with a largely similar team. We'd not won the ashes down under for over 20 years when Cook knocked those 766 runs, so that's gotta count for something in his favour.
The 2005 side would've faced a very different prospect had that insanely good fecker not stepped on a cricket ball.
Circumstance is entirely relevant.
Yeah that was a huge mental boost for you guys.
Fair enough, guess I need to revise my opinion of cook in that case.
I almost forgot about that
What a player McGrath was. However debatable Cook's status is and will be, Glenn is an all time great beyond any question or doubt.Guy was unfairly good. Every sodding ball was on the spot and more often than not would seem. Destroyed us at Lords, after we thought we'd done a good job on their batsmen,I almost forgot about that
Brings up a question for the cricket thread... How's Steyn's all time ranking at the moment?
Get McGrath vibes from him. When he has the ball in his hand, things can, and more often than not, will happen.He's most certainly up there, in the debate.Brings up a question for the cricket thread... How's Steyn's all time ranking at the moment?
Thats kind of my point, Cook unquestionably won that Ashes. If you ask me what innings I remember best though? KP's double ton without doubt.
In the end, I think it all boils down to the fact that on their best KP was a much better batsmen than Cook, and plus I think he's won England a lot more matches than him.
That Mumbai innings was just ridiculous, probably amongst the very best I've seen on Indian pitches. Completely turned the series around.
"Yasir Shah is expected to be fit for the second Test against England in Dubai after recovering from the back spasm which ruled him out of the opening contest. However, team manager Intikhab Alam hinted there could be a surprise addition to the squad after Pakistan's attempts to call up Zafar Gohar for this match were thwarted by visa issues."
Let this be Amir please. He has taken 30 odd wickets in the last 3-4 games he has played.
Let this be Amir please. He has taken 30 odd wickets in the last 3-4 games he has played.
Issue for me is that KP's match winning innings weren't as frequent as Cook's consistency at the top of the order. But then again, we are talking about very different positions and roles in a team. I don't think, in test cricket, Pieterson is a better #4 overall than Cook is an opener, but on his day, sure, KP will win a match.
Who would you rather have in your team, Dravid or Sehwag? (I know they're not position identical in the batting order to Cook & KP).
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