Pakistan v England 1st test, Abu Dhabi Oct 13-17

[Aidan11]

Not long now boys and girls.


Pakistan are unbeaten at Fort UAE and Moeen Ali is opening the batting for us.


What could possibly go wrong?

[hopeforthebest]

Not long now boys and girls.


Pakistan are unbeaten at Fort UAE and Moeen Ali is opening the batting for us.


What could possibly go wrong?

England have a good chance as my FL team contains mostly Pakistan players.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Tuesday, 13th of October in the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

7am in UK.
5pm in NSW.
11.30am in India.

Or for England, mission impossible. The goal has to be that the team doesn't self destruct after three Tests played in crazy heat, with unfamiliar dust under their feet. England's victory formula of preparing green wickets isn't available and Cook and the four England pace bowlers will need to be unorthodox in order to complete their mission.

It seems likely that from the team which lost at the Oval to Australia, Anderson will come in for Finn, and Rashid for Lyth, with Moeen opening. But there will be sufficient pressure from Taylor and Finn to make changes tempting should England fall at the first hurdle.

Pakistan have won four, drawn three and lost zero at this venue. Last year, The top five put on 566-3 against New Zealand, didn't enforce the follow on, and won by 248 runs. Wickets were shared among the spinners and seamers, but Pakistan employed slow left armer, Zulfiqar Babar, to do most of the work for not many runs, a role that can't really be replicated in the England squad. England will ask the pace bowlers to bowl maidens. Pakistan will augment Babar with the phenomenally successful leg spinner Yasir Shar, and probably returning veteran all rounder Shoaib Malik's offspin.

In their only previous game on the ground, in 2012, England lost by 72 runs, with the Pakistan spinners taking eighteen wickets. England were bowled out for 72 in the second innings, with 143 needed to win.

Temperatures of 35 degrees have been promised. Cloud will not be provided.

[Aidan11]

Not long now boys and girls.


Pakistan are unbeaten at Fort UAE and Moeen Ali is opening the batting for us.


What could possibly go wrong?

England have a good chance as my FL team contains mostly Pakistan players.

I think I,ve done the same.

[Aidan11]

I suppose law of averages would suggest Pakistan have to lose there sometime.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Oh. Oops.

[Aidan11]

I wonder if Rashid will finally get his chance.

[m@tt]

I wonder if Rashid will finally get his chance.

He will. Some people may not rate him at the highest level, but Bayliss wants him and backs him. He'll play.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Oh. Oops.

That longish post above was an intro for a duplicate match thread. It looks a bit weird posted on an existing match thread...

[Aidan11]

I think the XI will be -

Cook
Ali
Bell
Root
Bairstow
Stokes
Buttler
Rashid
Broad
Wood
Anderson


Wood just getting in ahead of Finn.

[Arthur Crabtree]

That's pretty likely. I've got a blind hunch Taylor might get in ahead of Stokes though.

My team:
Hales/Cook/Moeen/Root/Taylor/Stokes/Buttler/Patel/Rashid/Broad/Anderson.

Plunkett is going to be lucky to be selected to wear a fluorescent bib, never mind bowl a ball. Yet there are few spin options. I've left out Bell on his form over the last two years, and in Asia generally. If Wood should play, he can replace Anderson. Bairstow or Buttler but not both. Finn is unlucky to miss out, but if he has to play, he can replace Broad.

[shankycricket]

I see Rich is missing again these days. If you are reading this Rich, please come back. One of the best posters on CMS. Don't let one or two posters obsessed with their favourite players spoil your fun. Will be interesting to read your views during this series.

Regards.

[shankycricket]

Posted this on the other thread with regards to my views on team selection.

Bayliss seemed to be suggesting that Buttler is in line for the chop. Not a bad move, as long as Taylor is in, anything is fine! But I am perplexed at how little question marks there are over Stokes' place (and I'm one of his biggest fans) but he has hardly scored a run since the Lord's Test, failed in both the warm ups (and unlike Moeen/Buttler, he didn't come out for a "second innings" either) and as the 4th seamer, is clearly more than surplus in these conditions. Personally I'd play Buttler over Stokes as it at least gives you stability in the keeping department and I'd say Buttler is more likely to grind out runs whilst in poor form than Stokes, who'll try to slog his way out of trouble (which won't work). If they do drop Buttler, I'd still play Patel over Stokes. Better player of spin than Stokes and a 3rd spinner (even though a part timer) would bring better balance than a 4th seamer.

Cook
Moeen
Bell
Root
Taylor
Bairstow
Buttler (wk)/Patel (Bairstow keeps)
Rashid
Broad
Finn/Wood (I'd pick Finn purely based on his record in Asia. He was excellent in the ODIs in the UAE last time around, bowled superbly in the warm up and played a critical role in England's last series win in Asia in India with his reverse swing at Kolkata but they do seem to have settled on Wood)
Anderson

[Arthur Crabtree]

Any merit in suggesting in the arduous conditions, England will get more out of twentysomething fast bowlers rather than thirtysomething?

[shankycricket]

Are you dropping Anderson, AC? Actually, thats not as ridiculous an idea as it may sound. Anderson was brilliant on the previous leg of Asian tours but there have been signs that he is not the same bowler anymore. Barring a final day burst at Grenada against an ordinary WI batting lineup earlier this year, he has struggled on flat tracks ever since that India away series, be it in NZ, Aus or most recently at Lord's vs Aus. Still, going in without him for the first Test would be a huge call. His overall performances in Test cricket are still more than good enough to earn him a spot and he should play the first Test. If he struggles, I wouldn't be averse to playing both Finn and Wood from the 2nd Test and save Anderson for South Africa. But he deserves to start the first Test especially given his success alongside Broad the last time around in the Desert.