PCB Patron’s XI v England XI (Day 1 thread)

[Amjid Javed]

Ian Bell could be left sweating over his Test place, as England prepare to explore all options in their three-day warm-up match against a Pakistan Cricket Board Patron's XI, which gets underway at Rawalpindi tomorrow. Having secured permission to give an airing to all 14 members of his squad, England's coach, Duncan Fletcher, could be forced to re-assess the balance of his team, in a bid to cover for the absent Simon Jones.



Bell, who made a pair in the Ashes-clinching fifth Test at The Oval last month, is likely to be the fall-guy if, as seems quite possible at this stage, England decide to go into the first Test at Multan with two spinners. Alex Loudon, who has been impressive in the early nets sessions, is currently ahead of Shaun Udal in the tour pecking order, while Paul Collingwood has been generating good pace on the sluggish wickets, and is once again being considered as an extra bowling option.



"At this stage I would like to see all 14 take part, but we will have to use our heads," Fletcher told reporters at the team hotel. "We are getting mixed messages as to what sort of wicket is being prepared, so I will let them use this as a practice game and let them get an idea about how the wicket will play. We don't want to go out there with the wrong mindset."



England used just 12 players in total in last summer's Ashes series, and had it not been for Jones's untimely ankle injury, they would have fielded an unchanged 11 for all five Tests. All of a sudden, however, there are two places up for grabs, although Fletcher was understandably wary about talking up Loudon's prospects of a first international call-up.



"He's been impressing us," Fletcher admitted, having kept close tabs on Loudon's progress during the first days of the tour, "but at the end of the day we've got to look at whether it's too early [for him]. He came out here for just a bit of experience and to learn to work on his bowling.



"The other area is whether we use Collingwood as a bowler," Fletcher added. "That is quite critical and will be debated." Collingwood, whose Test debut came during England's last tour of the subcontinent - in Sri Lanka in December 2003 - was drafted in for the final Test against Australia last summer, and though he had little to show for his endeavours, he showed enough gumption in the most pressurised of circumstances to earn another opportunity.



Both he and Bell are handy fill-in bowlers in first-class cricket, although Collingwood has added an extra yard of pace in recent months, and troubled several batsmen during an energetic work-out this morning. "We still want to look at Bell as a batter, but that's probably the area we might have to look at at this stage," said Fletcher afterwards, which were strong words by his guarded standards.

There is still the best part of a fortnight until the Multan Test, so Fletcher refused to write off the prospects of the remaining members of the squad: James Anderson, Liam Plunkett and Shaun Udal. "I am very pleased that straightway the guys have shown the intent and intensity on this tour," he said. "They have put in some good work in the last three days."



He did not believe, however, that the glory of the Ashes victory was entirely out of their systems, and nor did he want it to be. "You've got to use it to your advantage," he explained, "because at the end of the day if you win the Ashes it can only give you confidence. We have to make sure we manage it though. What we don't want is overconfidence and complacency. If we have confidence and self-belief after beating Australia, then we can mix it with the best, because Pakistan is also a good side."



"It's a different scenario [to the Ashes]," Fletcher added. "It's difficult to beat Pakistan in Pakistan, but all tours away from home are very difficult. We've won at home, so now we've got to go and back up what we did in the summer

[GamBiTT]

"We are getting mixed messages as to what sort of wicket is being prepared, so I will let them use this as a practice game and let them get an idea about how the wicket will play. We don't want to go out there with the wrong mindset."

Might be that when they talk about mixed messages -- it is related to the Pakistani squad which suggests both spin and pace helping wickets. If the poms get a bit confused and pick an unsuitable squad for atleast the first test .. it really would serve the purpose of picking a large squad as Pakistan did.

I would say that we should keep them guessing by preparing oddly opposite nature wickets in first and second practise matches. I am really happy that the match in Lahore is going to be played @ Bagh-e-Jinnah stadium and not Gadhafi stadium ... this disallows the English team to assess Gadhafi stadium picth which is to be used in the third test match.

[Billy]

Collingwood's pace has picked up recently I guess, he was faster than Hoggard in the last Ashes test, but I'm not too confident that his batting is worth a top 5 space. England's team may look more like a Pakistani team if we play both him and Loudon and end up batting down to 9!

[Rob H]

Don't suppose tms are covering the match?

[dan hudson]

I can't see both Loudon and Collingwood playing. It seems to me that one of these two may replace Bell depending upon how the England management perceive the wickets for each Test will play.

[Awesome Anjum]

England should be aware that this is a pretty strong side for a warmup.

[Amjid Javed]

England should be aware that this is a pretty strong side for a warmup.

lets hope hameed, kamal, bazid and co can give england bowlers a hard work out.

i hope irshad gives englands batsmen a good working over.

[DM]

i hope irshad gives englands batsmen a good working over.i'm really looking forward to that :D

[Rob H]

i'm really looking forward to that :D
:O:ODM replying to a thread not about Afridi

[Waqar's inswinging yorker]

I hope so AJ - last time round it seemed we didnt go at england hard enough in the warm ups - does this game start mon morning or tuesday morning? anyone?

[Muddaser]

31st October Monday.

[DM]

:O:ODM replying to a thread not about Afridi:D you forgot the (if 150kph+) posts

[Waqar's inswinging yorker]

thanks muddy!

[Saj]

Asim Kamal and Arshad Khan are the only Pak players playing in this match who form part of the 16 man squad.

[Rob H]

Who'll play out of Plunkett,Anderson, Udal, Loudon?

[Hash]

Who'll play out of Plunkett,Anderson, Udal, Loudon?

don't know. Who do you think?

I hope cricinfo do updates for this game. Don't want the usual wait until 6pm (when the updates man returns from his regular visit to the toilet) before finding out the score

[Saj]

Who'll play out of Plunkett,Anderson, Udal, Loudon?

All of them, as England are being allowed to use all 14 squad players in this fixture.

[Billy]

They're all playing RH.. as far as I know everyone will get a go apart from Harmison and Flintoff.

[Billy]

All of them, as England are being allowed to use all 14 squad players in this fixture.

Just had to beat me to it didn't ya'?

It'll be interesting to see how Plunk and Jimmy do anyway..

[ZM]

http://uk.cricinfo.com/db/NEW/LIVE/

i dont think cricinfo are covering the game, bcuz the above link shows what games they are covering over the next few days

[Saj]

Just had to beat me to it didn't ya'?

It'll be interesting to see how Plunk and Jimmy do anyway..

:D Billy. Its a good move by the ECB to get all the players some match practice, especially for those of them who have not previously experienced cricket in the sub continent.

[Usman]

They're all playing RH.. as far as I know everyone will get a go apart from Harmison and Flintoff.

Why not Harmy and Freddy? Surely they need practise to get used to conditions right?

[Billy]

Why not Harmy and Freddy? Surely they need practise to get used to conditions right?

They've been given a bit more time to be with their families after the superseries rubbish. As an England fan I've got no problem with that (as long as they play in the second warm up game obviously).

[Amir_rulez]

Billy, how do u rate Ashley Giles? What r his chances in Pak this time? Who do u see being his potential victims?

[Billy]

I really wouldn't know to be honest. He did well on the last tour to Pakistan so i think we can assume he likes bowling on Pakistani pitches but I think a lot depends on the patience of the Pakistani batsmen. If Gilo's bowling over the wicket on a leg stump line then they're going to have to think about the shots they play as a smear off the legs against the spin really wouldn't be too smart.

[offstump]

i'm not sure if the sqauds have been posted but here's the pak squad

Pakistan Cricket Board Patron's XI: Asher Zaidi, Yasir Hameed, Bazid Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Asim Kamal, Faisal Iqbal, Imran Tahir, Yasir Arafat, Zulqarnain, Mohammad Irshad, Arshad Khan, Mohammad Asif, Najaf Shah, Shehzad Malik.

interesting that asim kamal will play in the match probably because he's out of form at the moment...high touted batting prospect shehzad malik is also there, good to see irshad and najaf shah in there too....bichara misbah ul haq is always in these fringe sqauds hahahaha i think he's goona make a career out of it

[Noddy]

Freddie is flying out from Manchester on PIA flight to Islamabad tomorrow morning.

[safehands46]

i'm not sure if the sqauds have been posted but here's the pak squad

Pakistan Cricket Board Patron's XI: Asher Zaidi, Yasir Hameed, Bazid Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Asim Kamal, Faisal Iqbal, Imran Tahir, Yasir Arafat, Zulqarnain, Mohammad Irshad, Arshad Khan, Mohammad Asif, Najaf Shah, Shehzad Malik.

interesting that asim kamal will play in the match probably because he's out of form at the moment...high touted batting prospect shehzad malik is also there, good to see irshad and najaf shah in there too....bichara misbah ul haq is always in these fringe sqauds hahahaha i think he's goona make a career out of it

Bazid has been on the fringe for a while.

[hasanahmad]

who is showing this live?

[Toony™®]

http://www.ecb.co.uk/stats/live/

[Toony™®]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/fds/hi/statistics/cricket/scorecards/2005/10/12286/html/scorecard.stm

8 off irshad's first over.

[ZM]

Najaf shah cleans up strauss!!!!
14-1

[Toony™®]

:27::115::133:Najaf shah cleans up strauss!!!!
14-1

[ataullah]

strauss bowled by najaf shah

[Toony™®]

irshad..hope he proves to ppl onhere their belief in him considering - i havent seen him bowl and seems to be 2nd rate shoib akhtar to me only.

from what i have read..his bowling speed is exaggerated on this forum by his supporters..

[Toony™®]

3 no balls so far..by who, i wonder?

[Toony™®]

27 for 1 (10.0 overs)

[jalex382]

seems like najaf is bowling realy tight line and length.
only 7 runs in 5 overs with 3 maiden and one wiket

[Nauman]

32/1 Najaf Shah going for 5 in the over.

[jalex382]

32/1 Najaf Shah going for 5 in the over.

I guess i Jinxed him. :16:

[Nauman]

41/1 now Irshad was taken out of the attack after five overs, Yasir Arafat comes and goes for 9 runs in the first over.

[Officer Barbrady]

Are u watching on tv nauman?

[Toony™®]

Are u watching on tv nauman?http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared...l/scorecard.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/fds/hi/statistics/cricket/scorecards/2005/10/12286/html/scorecard.stm)

[Nauman]

Are u watching on tv nauman?

Nope following it on BBC website, Seems like another maiden by Najaf Shah, its Trescothick who seems to be on fire here.

[Nauman]

A maiden by Yasir Arafat now.

[Nauman]

Another wicket for Najaf Shah gets Vaughan out lbw for 9 :) Kevin Pieterson the new man in.

[Officer Barbrady]

thanks toon yes I am following it there. Just wondering whether it's on tv. I guess not.

[Officer Barbrady]

Good to see him bowling well (again).

[Toony™®]

:19:thanks toon yes I am following it there. Just wondering whether it's on tv. I guess not.

[Toony™®]

41 for 2 (15.0 overs)

[tahaqureshi]

Vaughan Gone!!!!!!!

[Nauman]

46/2 now.

[tahaqureshi]

52/2 now.....Yasir Arafat goes for 6 in this over.

[Nauman]

52/2 now, Arafat going for 6 in the last over.

[Officer Barbrady]

Yasir Ali strikes in his first over. Pietersen gone.

[Nauman]

53/3 now.

[Toony™®]

:27:54 for 4 (20.0 overs):27:

[tahaqureshi]

53/4...........Yasir Araft also strikes

[Amjid Javed]

:))) i hope england play like this in test series.

[Officer Barbrady]

England are only touring with 5 specialist batsmen? I find that a little strange..they could have done with an extra bat for the tour.

[tahaqureshi]

updates? BBC seems to be stuck.

[Nauman]

53/5 now Bell just got out, caught behind on Arafat's bowling.

[tahaqureshi]

never mind....england 60/5! arafat takes his second!

[tahaqureshi]

I guess the Patron's XI can now challenge the mighty AUSSIES!!!!! LOL!

[Toony™®]

60 for 5 (23.0 overs)

[Toony™®]

maybe they are not use to flat pitches.

[tahaqureshi]

Is this a joke? 60/6 now.......arafat gets 3 to his name!!!!!

They really really suck.

[Officer Barbrady]

I'm guessing there's something in the track!

[tahaqureshi]

I'm guessing there's something in the track!

Or maybe......they actrually just suck:))) :D

England's best spinner at the crease.....but not exactly to spin the ball! :19:

[Toony™®]

61 for 6 (25.0 overs)

[Officer Barbrady]

Actually now that I remember Pindi is where we ran through Aus A. I think there might be something in that pitch.

[ZM]

61-6:))) :))) :)))

[Daoud]

Collingwood gets a duck too :)))
Is this how they'll try and whitewash us?

[desidude]

Seems like Vaughan must be feeling the heat and a really good idea what exactly they are up against. Paksitani pacers have ripped English batting line and except for Trescothic no one else has entered into double figures. This is a really good start by this young Patron's XI. But they have to get them out at a low total and then need to take England's bowling apart. If they win the first game they will give a huge favor to Pakistan's XI.

[Nauman]

I think these are premature celebrations, you never know what they might do to us in test matches.

[desired]

where are u all gettin the updates from?
can the patronz xi play the test series who needs the real pak team when these boys can take care of the poms

[MIG]

I think these are premature celebrations, you never know what they might do to us in test matches.

You kidding ? I have just cancelled my satellite subscription - cannot watch this onesided series....:31:

[tahaqureshi]

England 61/6 at lunch

[Officer Barbrady]

It seems like a greenish pindi pitch. Well done to the pacers though I wouldn't read too much into this game. I suspect Hoggard and co will enjoy it as well.

[Officer Barbrady]

England made a dismal start to their opening tour match of the winter, slumping to 61-6 at lunch against a Patron's team in Pakistan.



Andrew Strauss (5) was the first man out as he shouldered a ball from Najaf Shah which hit off-stump.

Najaf accounted for captain Michael Vaughan (9) before Kevin Pietersen (2) was caught by Asim Kamal off Yasir Ali.

Yasir Arafat then took three wickets in 12 balls dismissing Paul Collingwood (0) Ian Bell (2) and Geraint Jones (4).

Collingwood went for a duck when he under-edged a pull at Arafat on to his middle-stump.

Bell was then caught by Zulqarnain Haider off Yasir before Jones disturbed his stumps off a Arafat delivery. The experienced Marcus Trescothick was left to battle at the crease alongside spinner Ashley Giles.



Earlier, Vaughan, who was passed fit to play despite suffering from an ear infection, went for lbw when he was trapped on the crease.

While Pietersen's eagerness again got the better of him as he speared a drvie on the up to be caught at gully. England, who are without Andrew Flintoff and Stephen Harmison who are yet to join the tour, had won the toss and elected to bat.

[F16]

Well the Patrons XI can replace Pak team against England for test .

[Officer Barbrady]

Andrew Miller describers Najaf as a 'promising' left arm quick:

"The PCB's enforcers were Najaf Shah, a promising 20-year-old left-arm seamer from Lahore, who took the first two wickets of innings, and Yasir Arafat, Scotland's overseas player, who ripped through the middle order with three in 12 balls.
The first man to fall was Andrew Strauss, who offered no stroke in Najaf's second over of the day and was comprehensively bowled for 5 (10 for 1). Trescothick and Michael Vaughan had carried the score along to 41 for 1 by the drinks break, but Vaughan - who demonstrated a peculiar weakness against low bounce during the Ashes series - was a constant lbw candidate as he propped uncertainly forward. Sure enough, Najaf swung one back into his pads to earn a well-deserved second scalp."

[Nauman]

Well atleast Najaf Shah can swing the ball back into the left hander unlike Bob's favourite blue eyed boy Mohommad Khalil.

[the Great Khan]

yeah lets not get too carried away...i doubt the test matches will be like this although a moral boosting victory for the young guns will be a good start for the main test side...

[Nauman]

yeah lets not get too carried away...i doubt the test matches will be like this although a moral boosting victory for the young guns will be a good start for the main test side...

Agree with you there, for all we know this might be one of those evil English plans to make Pakistani team complacent :P

[the Great Khan]

lol..maybe...you never know..they could have planned all of this lol..but arent najaf and yasir ali better than sami anyway??

[waquas_uk]

nauman isit on tv?

[Nauman]

nauman isit on tv?

Nope.

[Officer Barbrady]

Why not Nauman? You could at least have sent a Pakpassion cameraman to cover the match!

[waquas_uk]

how come you aint gone down to watch the game since its in pindi?

[waquas_uk]

england 87/6
trecothick 38

[Toony™®]

98 for 7 (36.0 overs)

A F Giles lbw b Imran Tahir 30

[immubhai]

Yasir ali and Imran Tahir, are they spinners?

[waquas_uk]

yasir ali is a fast bowler not sure about imran

[Nauman]

Imran Tahir is a leggie I think and according to Monsee Yasir Ali is the fastest bowler in Pakistan.

[Billy]

This just looks like a repeat of the South Africa A match.. although at least we were bailed out by out tail in that game.

[Nauman]

118/7 now Udal playing with Trescothick.

[immubhai]

lol..maybe...you never know..they could have planned all of this lol..but arent najaf and yasir ali better than sami anyway??

Thats for sure, Sami does not come close to both of them. Sami needs to work out on his bowling action. He does not look straight to the wicket before he drops the bowl in the air. He just concentrate on speed and speed like our Actor bhai but in Actor bhai's case, he has more speed and sometime he gets really lethal with his speed other than that both of them lacks in variation and line and length.

[waquas_uk]

130 for 8 (45.0 overs)
trescothick gets his 50

[offstump]

yasir ali and yasir arafat have both impressed...i wouldn't be surprised if arafat makes the odi squad, he's been in great form for a while now...i also think between irshad and yasir ali, yasir is the better bowler...and why is khalil rated ahead of najaf shah?

[the Great Khan]

ominous that tresco is doing well..im sure he will be giving ngland some good starts as strauss seems to have become a notorious slow series starter...the bulletin says the pitch is slow and the ball is keeping low..i wanna se how the england bowlers bowl..

[Officer Barbrady]

...and why is khalil rated ahead of najaf shah?

No one knows!

Arafat might be more suited to the ODI format.

[offstump]

No one knows!

Arafat might be more suited to the ODI format.

i think arafat could easily play in the odi team but because of razzaq's strangehold on his allrounder position arafat has been hard done...the najaf situation is mind boggling to say the least

[Nauman]

This just looks like a repeat of the South Africa A match.. although at least we were bailed out by out tail in that game.

Its 14 players a side game so I wouldnt be surprised if England go on to score 200.

[KA$H]

250 i'd say

[Officer Barbrady]

Najaf is tall, probably 6'2 or more and looked a good future prospect when playing for the under-19. Got good bounce, haven't seen him since but he has been a top performer over the past year.

I think Farhad saw him a few months ago and was impressed as well.

[Officer Barbrady]

Its 14 players a side game so I wouldnt be surprised if England go on to score 200.


It's 11 bat 11 field I think but they still have two proper bats out there.

[Hash]

I think I have seen Najaf Shah bowl on TV before. If I remember correctly he is very similar to Bruce Reid.

On another note....good to see Mr.3-0 get bowled for a duck.

[Pathan007]

y doesn't the captain give the bowling to Yasir ALi? Wth only 4overs

[Hash]

pathan- perhaps he is injured/off the field, who can say without actually watching the game

[Nauman]

It's 11 bat 11 field I think but they still have two proper bats out there.

Hmm I read in the newspaper that it is 14 players a side maybe I am wrong.

[Nauman]

Well Prior seems to have come out to bat at number 9 so I think it is 14 a side.

[Pathan007]

Nauman, is any of the channel showing it in Pakistan?

[Officer Barbrady]

Yes all 14 are involved but even then only 11 bat.

that's quite a compliment hash (reid)

[Nauman]

Ok I think I got it now, out of 14 players any 11 can bat and any 11 can take the field.

[Pathan007]

Irshaad as usual struggling.

[offstump]

i'm dissapointed in irshad especially his last few performances but maybe my expectations were too high with all the hype

[Nauman]

164/8 Prior and Trescothick seems to have gotten stuck in the middle.

[Nauman]

173/8 right now, I think its tea because score hasnt been updated for a while.

[Billy]

194/8

M E Trescothick 87
M J Prior 28

[Billy]

207/8

M E Trescothick 96
M J Prior 32

[Officer Barbrady]

I did say they still have two specialist bats still out there!

Though for some odd reason Bazid (who doesn't usually bowl) and Irshad (the worst of the lot today) are bowling. Wonder why Yasir Ali or Arafat are not being used.

[Pathan007]

good recovery by England. as usual Tresco will be the MAIN threat for Pakistan.

[Billy]

237/8

M E Trescothick 108
M J Prior 50

(maybe)

[Noddy]

Why has Bazid bowled 6 overs for plenty and Yasir no more than 4??
I dont understand this bit....I dont think Yasir is injured...Misbahs due a call from me tonight!

[Billy]

The ball seemed to be doing a bit early on if the clips they showed on Sky Sports were anything to go by.

[Pathan007]

that's an excellent recovery by these two out there.

[Billy]

247/8

M E Trescothick 118
M J Prior 50

[Billy]

248/9

M E Trescothick 119
AGR Loudon 0

[KA$H]

did i call it right or wat? the score at the time was 147



250 i'd say

[tahaqureshi]

did i call it right or wat? the score at the time was 147

fluke...:16: :P

[KA$H]

na it was judgement my friend!

this england team has a fight back mentality - and pak teams in general like to ease the foot off the pedal once on top

[Billy]

255/9

ME Trescothick 124 from 203 balls
AGR Loudon 2 from 18 balls (Zzzz)

[Billy]

Loudon is now on 3 off 30 balls.

He's obviously been at the valium.

[Mercenary]

If anyone is interested they are showing highlights on sky sports news. Najaf looked quite nippy

[Muddaser]

Definitely 140kph if you ask me.

Definite.

[Pathan007]

If anyone is interested they are showing highlights on sky sports news. Najaf looked quite nippywhat's their website?

[Muddaser]

what's their website?

Its a TV channel.

They might have the highlights on sky sports website.

Type it up on google.

[Billy]

256/9 at the close

ME Trescothick 124
AGR Loudon 3

[adi 101]

good to see england sturgling

[Monsee]

Quote by Noddy:

Why has Bazid bowled 6 overs for plenty and Yasir no more than 4??
I dont understand this bit....I dont think Yasir is injured...Misbahs due a call from me tonight!




I was just typing the following when I saw your post...you better talk with Misbah...if I am right, this is the 2nd or 3rd match under Misbah, where Yasir Ali got 6 odd overs or less, while others got to bowl 15+ overs each

This is like the 3rd or 4th game, on A level or part of the Pak team practice series, that Yasir Ali has been under-bowled...what has the poor guy done :12:

With figures of 4.0 overs 2 Maidens 2 Runs 1 wicket, I would be pretty mad if I was taken off when a guy like Bazid, who I have never seen bowling at this level, got to bowl 6 overs and all others got 12, 17, 17, and 18 overs respectively!

Noddy you better tell Misbah there are many who are pis$sed off at him for this obvious retardedness and bias

[Officer Barbrady]

Very strange indeed I would think he's off the field or something. It doesn't make sense otherwise.

[Monsee]

Very strange indeed I would think he's off the field or something. It doesn't make sense otherwise.


I agree it would sense if he was off the field BUT this is the 2nd or 3rd game where this has happened

Each time Yasir Ali got to only bowl 4-6 overs, bowled really well each time, got 1 or 2 wickets in each game...and then was taken off

He can't be injured or off the field each time :13:

To top it off, if he was persisted with, England could have been bowled out for 180 or under...now we have 255 and a very confident Tresco...doesbn't bode well for Pak senior team cause Tresco is the main threat for me

I will wait for Noddy to get the whole story on Yasir...BTW, he is faster and a better bowler than all the other 3 bowlers, yet he was not given the new ball. What gives, when he has actually played a Test and none of the others have :12:

[Baron]

Misbah that bloomin dipstick. What is he doing, giving England the chance to regroup by bringing in Bazid into the attack and not killing it off? When a team is down, you should just finish them off and not fart around. Talk about lacking professionalism. It would have been good to give them a hammering and get an edge, now that they have recovered, it swings back into there favour.

[Pathan007]

no wonder Misbah is playing Street Cricket all these years :D

[Daoud]

We should commend him for his hospitality
Wait - this is a cricket match. Even if it is a practice game, he can stick his hospitable gestures somewhere else

[Monsee]

Now watch Patron's XI loose while everyone will blame the batsmen, I would put it purely to Misbah's goonish captaincy

I mean a 6 year old monkey could have figured it out that Bazid is not gonna get a wicket when he was going a over 6 an over and he hardly bowls regularly

[Nauman]

If a team cant even cross 260 or 270 why blame the captain for pathetic batting performance, true Misbah was awefull as a captain but that doesnt mean batsmen now have the license to get out for 120.

[Monsee]

If a team cant even cross 260 or 270 why blame the captain for pathetic batting performance, true Misbah was awefull as a captain but that doesnt mean batsmen now have the license to get out for 120.



My question is when you have a team down in the dumps at 150 odd and 1 or 2 wickets left only...who you throw the ball to???

Especially when Yasir Ali had bowled only 4 overs for 1 wicket, two of them maidens...I am sure even Ganguly could do much better here :D

[Noddy]

I think Yasir would have had a roza also for sure...

I have already sent an sms to Yasir hit the sticks Arafat. Sky Sports News have been in touch and want to do an interview with him today which I am sorting out.

[Monsee]

I think Yasir would have had a roza also for sure...

I have already sent an sms to Yasir hit the sticks Arafat. Sky Sports News have been in touch and want to do an interview with him today which I am sorting out.



If Yasir Ali had a roza, then he should not have played or should have been asked to at least bowl 10-12 overs

You better get some scoop on this stupid Misbah...this is the 3rd time, from my memory, that I have seen (read) other bowlers bowling 12 + overs and Yasir having to contend with 6 overs max. Still each time he had a wicket or two to his name!

Eversince his 10 wicket haul against Aussie A, in a test, he has been pretty much ignored...what gives :20:

It's not like I want him in the team at all cost...he should be given a fair and equal chance as compared to others and then let the best boy/man win

[Noddy]

it was 10 against SA Academy not Aussie A

[Monsee]

it was 10 against SA Academy not Aussie A


You know what I meant...now go find Misbah and give him some of this

Noddy :133: Misbah

[dan hudson]

It does seem that in the Test matches it will be KP at #4 with either Collingwood or Loudon at #5.

[Baron]

Funny pic there. Personally i dont think the patrons will get out that quickly. Remember they are playing without Harmison, Flintoff and Jones (who isnt touring) in this game. The batting is competent and they should seek to bat out the whole day if they can. Basically anything that can hamper Englands practice as much as possible!

[Monsee]

Few thoughts:

Riffatullah Mehmond looks like a pretty decent batsman, from little of what I saw in highlights

Moron Commentators were as bad as I have ever seen one...any time you thought, 'They couldn't get any worse...they actually prooved me wrong' by saying a stupid comment or two

Who changed Mansoor Amjad's action...his old action looked fine and he got more spin and I believe some drift too. His new action is quite ordinary and he barely uses his left arm in it

Shoaib must have paid them idiots (AKA commentators) cause they kept praising his 'Supposed Improoved batting'...proof of which we have barely seen in an Int'l game. He always played like this...hit or miss

Shabbir's new action looks quite clean although he doesn't use both his arms very well...he needs some matches under his belt and hopefully he will be fine

Hasan Raza, apart from Inzi and YoMo, looked the best batsman on display...he played good scoring shots yet most of them were proper cricketing shots...no hara kari stuff

[Muddaser]

Mansoor Amjad is another case of being ruined.

Aaqib Javed is responsible.

[zulfiqar]

:20: Shoaib must have paid them? No doubt commentators were praising Shoaib Akhtar to no limits but you can't blame Shoaib ^^ Whoever takes those commentators' words seriously probably wasn't hearing them correctly... the entire match they were rambling on with obvious comments such as "20/20 cricket one-day cricket ki tarah bilkul nahi hai" & when Butt slammed the ball to the fence for four one of them said "Suleiman ne behtareen shot khela hai off-side pe...", etc etc :D

[zulfiqar]

But on an off-note those 2 sixes were pretty sweet :D ROP had a blast taking on the spinners

[HAFRIDI]

www.bbc.co.uk/cricket (http://www.bbc.co.uk/cricket)

theres an audio interview of tresco after the patrons xI days play..check it out

aparrently the pitch suprised them

[DM]

BRILLIANT from PCB Patron XI :D


Sad to see Yasir Ali being injured - He was doing well too! 4 overs, 2 runs, 1 Wicket!

I wanted to see more from the two likely 90mph men Yasir Ali and Mohammad Irshad. Disappointed that Irshad went wicketless - did anyone see him bowl? What was he like? What was Yasir Ali's bowling like?

Still, Irshad has the 2nd innings to make amends. I hope Yasir Ali's injury isn't too bad and can recover in time.

[Rob H]

No worries here. Look what South Africa A did to us.

[Monsee]

No worries here. Look what South Africa A did to us.



You seem quite confident about your team's chances, so and so, that you are taking a past loss against SA A team as an xcuse...BTW, if you think SA has a better bowling attack compared to Pakistan, then you really are not sure what you are talking about :P

[MIG]

Monsee - India also got beaten in the first game of the tour ( remember that innings by Nazir in Lahore ) - just hold on to your hats boys....

[Monsee]

Monsee - India also got beaten in the first game of the tour ( remember that innings by Nazir in Lahore ) - just hold on to your hats boys....


That was an ODI game...ODIs and 4 dayers are played for 1 and 4 days respectively

Thought I told you so, cause it seems you have forgotten that :21:

[umarbeast]

And who said they won already???? It was the first day and how do you know our batsmen of which we have none will even make 250???

[Amjid Javed]

Patrons x1 should have bowled england out for under 150 when they had they
had them on floor @ 60/6.

I agree with monsee we let england biggest threat with bat trescothic get a ton!

[Naz]

well we would have them out cheaper if it was t for these 14 man teams where even the number 11 batsmen is an allrounder. Im pleased with the effort today and this attack looks better then the main pakistani bowling attack.

It will be intersting to see if england declare overnight and bowl first thing tommorow. I for one am really hoping asim and bazid perform, and hopefully do well against their some what depleted attack.

[Mercenary]

I think we're forgetting that England had capable batsmen all the way down to 11. Matt Prior and Alex Loudon are no mugs with the bat!

Having said that Misbah bowling Bazid is confusing

[Billy]

Yes, Prior isn't exactly a mug with the bat and I doubt England would have posted a score above 200 had the tail been made up of bowlers. I'm not panicking yet though as there are still 3 more innings before the real stuff starts although failure to score in all 3 by more than 1 or 2 batsman would have me very worried.

[Amjid Javed]

I can see matt hoggard rubbing maggots against the ball and getting many a patrons batsmen out fishing!

[Saj]

gents, can we have a separate thread for each days play please, as otherwise the thread becomes too big and slow for some to load up.

[returnee]

Guys y arent they playing 2day???

[Hash]

returnee- they are.

[Toony™®]

:19:returnee- they are.

[Toony™®]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/fds/hi/statistics/cricket/scorecards/2005/10/12286/html/scorecard.stm
They have declared.

Pak batting now!

[shikari]

Pak 3/0

[Toony™®]

Ashar Zaidi and Yasir Hameed opening.

3-0 loss after 1 over .

[Toony™®]

16 for 0 (2.0 overs)

13 off Anderson's first over!

[Toony™®]

19 for 0 (3.0 overs)

[Geordie Ahmed]

Ashar Zaidi gone -

Bazid Khan in

[Geordie Ahmed]

21/1 (5overs)

Hameed 8*
Bazid 2*

[Shayan_Sohail]

21/1 (5overs)

Hameed 8*
Bazid 2*

There is a sticky thread for the second day

[Geordie Ahmed]

There is a sticky thread for the second day

yep - just noticed :22: