Arthur Crabtree wrote:There were quite a few games where Swann didn't get a bowl because in helpful conditions, the seamers took the wickets. Yet in the overs he got, Swann struck quickly. The home series to Pakistan in 2010 was like that.
Is this the Pakistan team that were bowled out for under a 100 three times in the series? That had failed to make a 100 or much past it twice vs Sri Lanka before in a test at Galle, who were bowled out in back to back series against South Africa and England after this for under 100, and who not long before had been bowled out twice in a test in Sharjah for under 60 by Australia? Id hazard a guess that in the 3 years either side of this series, the Pakistan batting line up averaged the worst complete innings totals of any side in the history of the game till the 1930's when pitches got better for batters, or would certainly be competitive. I could name you quite a few very low totals they scored.
In fairness, save for a couple of bowlers who kept them competitive, the issues with losing tests at home and the whole Khan/Yousuf captaincy sackings in Australia a few months before the series mentioned had robbed Pakistan of a batting line up that was test standard. The pitches were helpful to seam after a damp summer, and they were fish in barrels. Most FC teams around the world would have put up more resistance.
That's before you mention the fact that three players are known to have been purposefully underplaying..... with their most successful batsman in the series coming out and saying he knew it was going on and commenting he rejected match fixing money.
In all seriousness, that series should be scrubbed from the record book.