The Cricket Thread

[lordofthepies]

(despite them having a past match fixer in the side currently, regardless of what the circumstances were when he was approached),

They don't have a match fixer in their team.

There's no way that their celebrations are worse than that horrendous fucking sprinkler dance from 2011.

 

[JJH]

They don't have a match fixer in their team.

There's no way that their celebrations are worse than that horrendous fucking sprinkler dance from 2011.

A spot fixer then, or whatever the politically correct term is. The point stands.

 

[Aber gas]

A spot fixer then, or whatever the politically correct term is. The point stands.

Why doesn't Marlon Samuels and by extension the West Indies get the same treatment then? Or going back a just a few years Herscelle Gibbs and by extension the South African team? It seems strange to cast aspersions on this Pakistani team but not those teams.

 

[Saddlerrad]

The nothing matters, there are no boundaries, cheat to win attitude - is what I'm getting at.

Personally I've always rather liked the Pakistan cricket team. Brash, lightning fast seamers. Mercurial spinners and exciting but fragile batsmen. Wasim and waqar in their pomp was one of the most exhilating things I've seen on a cricket ground. Chuck in " boom boom " , inzaman , mushtaq and shoaib ahktar for some of my favourite players of all time. The corruption thing is a bit weird tbh. We don't castigate South Africa for the actions of Cronje and Kirsten ( alleged ) or the Indian test team for the endemic corruption of their domestic cricket but seem happy to do just that for this Pakistan team. I also like this current team and as Pies has said their emergence in such trying circumstances is to be admired alongside their obvious talent.

I think there's a difference between appreciating entertainment and being fond of people or a team though. Cristiano Ronaldo is brillantly entertaining, but I'm not a fan of how he carries himself on the pitch. Much like I completely agree that the players above are entertaining and bring admiral aspects to the forefront of the game. The corruption as such isn't the only issue. I've always found them irritating, the kind of people that wouldn't stop at going overally personal when it comes to onfield antics, taking things way too far, you can link that back to being willing to cheat to win. There was that incident during the winter trip to the UAE with the sub fielder winding our players up. (Although that was quite funny if I remember correctly)

Let's face it as I said above, you can pick up right from shocking umpiring back 20/30 years, Afridi using the wicket as an ice-skating rink, the ball biting, then spot fixing, Inzy refusing to take the field with the entire 'farce' game in 2005. Rightly or wrongly, controversy just follows the team and it's 99 times out of 100 something dodgy - of their own doing. That's why it doesn't follow through to the other international teams in world cricket as much.

Can't argue with the talent they have produced and they are always good value, I'm just not a fan personally. One aspect I hadn't really thought about, is how attritional and terrible the pitches are when we play them away from home. They are the very worst wickets in the world, bar non and yet they always manage to beat us, convincingly at times - it's another reason to want to give them a battering when they come to town!

 

[Camborne Gills]

I don't blame the Pakistanis for celebrating in the way they did. They won fair and square, and there wasn't much sledging from either side I believe.

 

[Super_horns]

Cook not happy about the Pakistan celebrations afterwards..

Might be somebody being bitter or trying to use them as motivation for the next test

 

[mnb089mnb]

Had to sell on my Lords tickets as I'm knackered from the Euros. However those who bought them enjoyed the Pakistani team celebrations. Bit of character in cricket shouldn't be criticised too much.

 

[spireite]

I'm reasonably confident about the rest of the series. Our side looks pretty makeshift, but we didn't get outplayed. We just played bad shots for the most part. It's also the first time any of our guys have had a look at Yasir Shah, so we'll make sure to study him now and he'll probably not get another 10fer in the next game (famous last words).

Will Jimmy be in next time, as I don't think Ball did much to cement his self a place?

 

[Pleg]

iActually agree with Saddlerrad

it's political corrEctness gone mad ifyou

can't call them Abunch of cheating Parkies

!

 

[hodge]

Expect Anderson to come in for Finn and Stokes to come in for Ball, I would like to see Rashid come in for Ali too, Rashid is the better bowler and Ali's first class batting average is only a couple of runs better. Feel Vince will be given another chance after getting into the 40's and can't see Ballance being ditched after 1 test again as he also got into the 40's.

 

[TomPNE94]

I thought the send off Woakes got was a bit OTT but if I was playing against a guy who had played and missed at as many as he did, I would have done the same

 

[spireite]

Expect Anderson to come in for Finn and Stokes to come in for Ball, I would like to see Rashid come in for Ali too, Rashid is the better bowler and Ali's first class batting average is only a couple of runs better. Feel Vince will be given another chance after getting into the 40's and can't see Ballance being ditched after 1 test again as he also got into the 40's.

Ballance is a strange one isn't he? On paper, he should be amongst our best batsmen. Our new Trott - great no.3 difficult to shift, man to stop a crisis before it becomes a crisis. He just seems scared at the crease at international level somehow. Timid. Seems afraid to let his arms go and you can almost visibly see him think 'jesus I'm gonna have a play a shot here...' then pick a bad shot and out. You don't want to give up on him as guys who are capable of averaging 50 are rare as rocking horse shit. Is this just a confidence thing, and if he gets a ton by hook or crook he'll suddenly settle, or is he our new Ramprakash?

 

[Saddlerrad]

I don't blame the Pakistanis for celebrating in the way they did. They won fair and square, and there wasn't much sledging from either side I believe.

Me either, celebrating a victory is a good thing and as is mentioned below, certainly nothing wrong with a bit of character. I mean in general, after a hundred, after a wicket, after any test match vs other teams not just England. All round not a fan of their teams, the players, the back room staff and the nature of how they have handled themselves on the pitch before.

Can't take the win away from them though, I see Anderson has been replaced at the top of the ICC rankings by Shah this morning, so congratulations to him.

 

[Saddlerrad]

Rashid, Anderson and Ben Stokes called back to the squad for the second test.

 

[Matt_]

Even as a Worcestershire supporter I am concerned about Moeen Ali's bowling in recent times, but I'm not convinced dropping him will achieve a great deal.

Someone asked the question earlier in the thread, surely there is a better spinner available, sadly the answer is probably no and that is where the problem lies.

The Pakistan batters are very good players of spin and they clearly targeted Ali at Lords, but they will just do the same with Rashid as they did with both in the UAE over the winter.

Both came out of the test series in the UAE with little credit, but Mo had the slightly better record of the two over the three games (9 wickets at 48 against Rashid's 8 wickets at 69) and I don't see much evidence to suggest anything has really changed much since then to suggest he has now moved ahead of Ali in the pecking order.

I'm happy for Rashid to get a go but my expectations of a much different result wouldn't be very high.

Mo's batting at Lords was also disappointing but it's only five innings since he made 155 not out.

 

[RavenBish]

Rashid's clearly improved his control in limited overs cricket recently so that's nonsense. How it translates to him in the longer form and taking wickets I don't know but he's made strides as a bowler - coming from someone who hasn't been a fan of his at all - on a turning wicket his variation is likely to cause far more problems against good players of spin than Ali who will get good turn but essentially bowl the same line and speed every ball. It speaks volumes of him that he's been in the England side primarily as a spinner for so long now and shown no sign of learning to vary his skillset

 

[Baz]

It'll be the same old from England probably.....Anderson will come in for Ball and we may see Stokes come back in, won't be more than that.

 

[silvergull]

A spot fixer then, or whatever the politically correct term is. The point stands.

Wait. How's this not been picked up on?! There's nothing political about it, they're very very different things.

As this is a football forum, the best comparison is Matt Le Tissier. I've never seen him derided in the same way an 18 year old kid under pressure has.

Also not shocked by some of the comments. This (and its previous incarnations) cricket posters are the most over the top reactionary people going. They make Oaf looked considered.

Don't forget broad should have been dropped forever on a number of occasions (including last summer) and anytime we lose a wicket we'll lose.

For the record, the enjoyed this test more than most recently. Pakistan played a huge part in that. I love the spirit they're fostering alongside some top talent. To have to
Play every test in a foreign country, with everything political hanging over them, is incredible

 

[lordofthepies]

Wait. How's this not been picked up on?! There's nothing political about it, they're very very different things.

As this is a football forum, the best comparison is Matt Le Tissier. I've never seen him derided in the same way an 18 year old kid under pressure has.

Yeah, I was about to pick up on that. By "politically correct", I'm pretty sure he just meant "correct". Somehow when le Tiss admitted to doing it, it was all seem as a great laugh. Different standards, probably because one of them is English and one is Pakistani.

 

[hodge]

Fantastic innings from Trescothick, double hundred and still going.

 

[spireite]

Fantastic innings from Trescothick, double hundred and still going.

Fuck me banger is still playing?

 

[hodge]

Yep 49th century for Somerset against Notts, equals Somerset's all time record.

 

[Aber gas]

Yep 49th century for Somerset against Notts, equals Somerset's all time record.

He's gone past now hasn't he with the double hundred?

 

[RavenBish]

Ben Duckett is some player.

Averaging 56.31 in CC, strike rate of 73.05, HS of 282
Averaging 44.67(!) in T20, strike rate of 127.01
Averaging 78.00 in RL50, strike rate of 93.98, HS of 121

then goes and does that for the Lions today.

Buttler, Bairstow, Billings, Duckett, Clarke - Have England ever had this many quality young wicket-keepers? (not seen Duckett/Clarke actually keep wicket much I must admit).

 

[hodge]

He's gone past now hasn't he with the double hundred?

Does it count? Or is it centuries per game how its counted?

 

[hodge]

Ben Duckett is some player.

Averaging 56.31 in CC, strike rate of 73.05, HS of 282
Averaging 44.67(!) in T20, strike rate of 127.01
Averaging 78.00 in RL50, strike rate of 93.98, HS of 121

then goes and does that for the Lions today.

Buttler, Bairstow, Billings, Duckett, Clarke - Have England ever had this many quality young wicket-keepers? (not seen Duckett/Clarke actually keep wicket much I must admit).

Duckett was a bowler when I played against him at U11/U13's level

 

[blademan89]

Big game tonight a must win for us v Durham. In the beer garden for a few pre match bevvies very rare occasion you can watch cricket in this country with this weather

 

[RavenBish]

Whoever bats first wins the match on this wicket

 

[hodge]

Selectors still see Ali as #1 spinner apparently When you look at his bowling figures in tests they're really very average. Any chance Rashid could turn out to be a good test bowler and should be given the chance or we're potentially missing out on a good talent to stick with an average one.

 

[MJA]

What's the XI they have gone with?

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