The Cricket Thread 2016

[PaulWinch again]

Can any Warwickshire supporters out there, who no doubt know more about cricket than me, run me through what Ian Bell brings to the team to justify selection?
Not trying to start an argument but I really can't see it in him.

I rate Bell but he is on borrowed time.

His stats just about justify continued  selection and I think that leaving him out would leave us very short of experience in the batting line up.

For the record, he's got over 7,500 test runs, 22 test centuries and is 9th on our list of all-time test run scorers. Only Pietersen and Cook have scored more test centuries. He also virtually won the 2013 home Ashes series as the only batsman in form. He's also won 5 Ashes series, a record he shares with Botham.

Whenever he's been at risk of being dropped, he's produced an innings that counts. His batting has been in decline for a couple of seasons and I'm not sure he has the confidence to dig in and play that big innings.

His career stats might justify his place, but his stats over the last year definitely don't. Also unfortunately for him the two people he dropped went on to score 98 and at least 100 respectively. I think Taylor would actually be a good option at 3.

[Whiney MacWhineface]

I think Buttler standing up to Anderson says everything you need to know about this pitch.

[aj2k77]

It doesn't help either that we have probably our worst spin duo for quite a long time.

[Chris Smith]

From the BBC "Leg-spinner Adil Rashid has bowled 34 overs for figures of 0-163, the worst return for any bowler on Test debut."

[PaulWinch again]

Hope Rashid gets treated better than Kerrigan did.

[Villan For Life]

It doesn't help either that we have probably our worst spin duo for quite a long time.

It's not the players fault, they are the best that we have available. We rarely produce decent spinners.

[aj2k77]

I disagree that Moeen is one of the two best spinners in England.

[PaulWinch again]

Regardless spinners tend to do terribly at this ground in the first innings. It is going to be a real struggle when we bat.

[PaulWinch again]

I disagree that Moeen is one of the two best spinners in England.

The thing is he might not be, but I don't think there isn't much between the English spinners. They're all pretty average we don't have a stand out match winner. Ali offers the team a decent spinner and a very good batsman and that gives the team flexibility. For someone to take his place they're going to have be an excellent spinner.

[PaulWinch again]

Flat pitch or not that's an excellent effort from Cook and Ali to get to the close. They would have been exhausted after two days in the field. It's nice to have an opening pair actually building a partnership.

[paul_e]

It doesn't help either that we have probably our worst spin duo for quite a long time.

It's not the players fault, they are the best that we have available. We rarely produce decent spinners.

Who, in world cricket, is producing world class spinners right now, the dearth seems to be much wider than just English cricket as far as I'm concerned, I can't recall a seeing any decent young-ish spinner who's action is entirely legal for a while.

[peter w]

We, and the ICC, should be more concerned with the type of pitches produced in Abu Dhabi. They are dead and shockingly bad. Pakistan haven't got two spinners that should pose a threat to us. That's not to say we won't contribute to our own downfall given the chance.

[olaftab]

Before we start slagging off the pitch too much just remember that  previous test matches played there have produced results.  (4 out of 7 much the same as any other pitch around the world). Test cricket is not just about fast bouncy pitches or green seam and swing variety that we  have in this country. If this match ends with both team putting up 500+ and a draw then it's down to lack of skill in bowling department. England spin attack is not international class and Pakistan only have one bowler in that cat, Yasir Shah, and he is injured.
A dusty pitch that cracks up is just as relevant as a green top.

[adrenachrome]

Some interesting comments from Middlesex spinner Ollie Rayner.

Without wishing to sound full of self-pity, it is not easy being an English spin bowler at this moment in time. All we ever hear is that the cupboard is bare, but the simple truth is that we don't play in conditions that help young spinners to develop.

The current schedule packs half the Championship matches in before the end of May, a notorious time in terms of the weather and certainly not a period in which you'll find bunsens being prepared.

All you can hope to do as a spinner is bowl as much as you can, keep it tight and earn the right to stay in the side for the drier months of the season. But then, just when you'd expect spin bowlers to come into their own in July and August, there's a big block of one-day cricket to disrupt your rhythm before the Championship comes to the crunch in September.

In addition, there are T20s dotted all through the season, which I am not a fan of, to be brutally honest. The schedule forces you to go from one extreme discipline to the other, and many spinners have totally different actions in each form to deliver what they need to.

The plight of the English spin bowler

[peter w]

Before we start slagging off the pitch too much just remember that  previous test matches played there have produced results.  (4 out of 7 much the same as any other pitch around the world). Test cricket is not just about fast bouncy pitches or green seam and swing variety that we  have in this country. If this match ends with both team putting up 500+ and a draw then it's down to lack of skill in bowling department. England spin attack is not international class and Pakistan only have one bowler in that cat, Yasir Shah, and he is injured.
A dusty pitch that cracks up is just as relevant as a green top.

Scores in the 3 draws

1 v SA 2010

SA 1st inns 584 - 9 dec
PAK 1st Inns 434
SA 2nd Inns 203 -5 dec
PAK 2nd Inns 153 - 3

all about the runs

2nd draw v SL 2011

SL 1st inns 197
PAK 1st Inns 511 - 6 dec
SL 2nd Inns 483
PAk 2nd Inns 21 - 1

as the first test after low 1st SL innings

3rd drawn test  v SL 2013/14

SL 1st inns 204
PAK 1st inns 383
SL 2nd Inns 480 - 5 dec
PAK 2nd Inns 158 - 2

not as bad but still bat heavily starting to dominate

The 4 results saw victories of 7 wickets, 248, and 356 runs.

There was also the test that was on by Pakistan when bowling England out for 70 odd when chasing 140.

Abu Dhabi is a horrible track that breaks up allowing for low sharp turn. I hate the way test cricket has become just a home team only forum. Its cheating.