Rewind: England v Pakistan 2006 (4 tests)- if both teams were fully fit

[Wasim_Waqar]

I know you may say that it's gone, but I really do look back and wonder what a great series there would have been if we had the following line-ups:-

ENGLAND

Trescothick
Strauss
Vaughan (c)
Pietersen
Collingwood
Flintoff
G Jones (w/k)
Giles
Hoggard
Harmison
S Jones

PAKISTAN

Butt
Hameed
Younis
Yousuf
Inzamam (c)
Kamal/Afridi
Akmal (w/k)
Rana
Shoaib
Asif
Danish

No Flintoff or Vaughan (or Giles: but Monty was great in the end) for England, no Hameed, Asif, Shoaib or Rana (who was bowling amazingly) for Pakistan............this would have been a classic series.

[NeVerMind]

Well that is what I was hoping for but alas was never to be. Pakistan were given 4 test matches for some time and yet we couldn't prove that we deserved it in the first place.

Went to see 4th day of the lord test when MoYo scored 200 and the 3rd and 4th day of the Oval test (we all know how that went, I was like after tea 'Dude, where's my team?).

But I agree with had we been a fit side i.e. bowling attack consisting of Asif, Akhtar and Rana (who at the time was coming off a very successful stint with Sussex and had not lost confidence by then) we would have won the series narrowly and never given England a chance to amass the large totals that they were able to at the end.

Though England would have Simon Jones back which would have caused our batting even more problems, I think we would have squeezed through by the sheer tenacity of our middle order i.e. Moyo, YK and Inzy who were batting with some authority.

Shame that was not to be the case...

[Sultan Yusuf]

Give it a rest! Most observers feel we play better without shoaib anyway!

So that's right. Clamour for him to get dropped, and when your beloved INZI's captaincy fails, blame it on shoaib not being there!

[Jayed]

Simon Jones is the most overrated in the world. You do know that he took 18 in 5 test matches (Ashes 05). That is an average bowling performance. Heck, even a Zimbabwean seamer would take at least 20.

[Monsee]

Hating a player and all that...tsk tsk; where have I heard it all before

[12thMan]

Originally Posted by Jayed Simon Jones is the most overrated in the world. You do know that he took 18 in 5 test matches (Ashes 05). That is an average bowling performance. Heck, even a Zimbabwean seamer would take at least 20.

let's not exaggerate that much. he got injured in 4th test so he only played 3 tests and 1 innings and he bowled well in the series

[Luton Bad Boy]

Hindsight is but a wonderful thing

[dblock]

Things would have been different, hard to say how much. Problem with nearly all the matches was that Pak bowlers let England's batsmen off the hook, there wasn't enough wicket taking threat, more of just containment which is not surprising because Mohammad Sami and Gul were not consistent enough to maintain pressure and prize out wickets on good batting pitches.

[Uzzy]

Originally Posted by Monsee Hating a player and all that...tsk tsk; where have I heard it all before

Thats a bit rich coming from you.

[TAK]

Originally Posted by Jayed Simon Jones is the most overrated in the world..

[the_game]

Originally Posted by Uzzy Thats a bit rich coming from you.

I thought the exact same thing waise!

[Punter]

It Would be a good series with those players

[Jayed]

2-1 we win

[ahsan17]

We would have won at Headingley and The Oval anyway without all the injured players had it not been for Hair (first that shocking decision of KP on the bowling of Shahid Nazir in the first innings of headingley test), and then we all know what happened at the oval.

[iZeeshan]

Forget that, anyone remember the umpire decsions? Cook, Strauss, Collingwood, the list goes on...

[ahsan17]

Well those decisions didn't cost as much as that straightforward caught behind decision. I think he had scored like 2 or 3 runs then. He went on to score 135.

[hasbeen]

its over, its the past. move on

we will have a new coach, new captain and some fresh faces hopefully so look to the future series rather than dwelling on past series and what could have been

[Easa]

Originally Posted by Jayed Simon Jones is the most overrated in the world. You do know that he took 18 in 5 test matches (Ashes 05). That is an average bowling performance. Heck, even a Zimbabwean seamer would take at least 20.

You are truly a joke.

[Luton Bad Boy]

Memo to guys here......the series finished a long time ago, time to move on!!!

You guyz suffer major withdrawal symptoms!!!

[tradecars]

in any form of sport their will always be rewinds thats life accept it and get on with it !

[Jayed]

Originally Posted by TAK

Obviously, you are one who takes everything word for word

[Usman Chadda]

The thread starter has duly forgotten what an amazing one-day series Rana had on that tour. Was tonked left, right and centre by the English batsmen. Heck even Sajid Mahmood laid into him and got something like 15 runs in that deciding over in the last ODI (The one we were so close to winning until Rana blew it !)!

[Wasim_Waqar]

Well Usman, Rana was doing great befre the test series and he got injured- THE ODI SERIES WAS AFTERWARDS when rana had been rushed back WAY too quickly after a groin injury, which should have been operated on (hernia): I think YOU need to see that!!! It was annoying to see him play 20% fit and nowhere near 100%.

Pakistan still have the same team and there's no reason why we can't do well again. Inzi's available for tests, remember that.

[Hash]

We would have won the series for sure. We should have won it anyway but for Farhat dropping 72 catches in the 1st test and the umpires raping us consistently throughout the series.

[James]

Just like we probably would have won the series in Pakistan if an uber-chucker hadn't got our captain out in both innings of the first test, and the umpire hadn't turned down a plumb lbw from Flintoff to Inzy on day 4 in the second test.

Hash **** happens. Despite all the small moans we can all have, on the balance of the play, the results in both series were just about fair.

[Luton Bad Boy]

Fact is they both have excellent home records and are atricious outside of home comforts.

[James]

We have away wins in WI and SA and a draw in India under our belts over the last few winters, not an atrocious away record.

[Luton Bad Boy]

Originally Posted by Whippy We have away wins in WI and SA and a draw in India under our belts over the last few winters, not an atrocious away record.

True dat, but England like Pakistan struggle in Australia (Test Matches), Sri Lanka, New Zealand.

[James]

We may struggle in certain conditions but you struggle EVERYWHERE outside Asia. We have had our moments at least. We dont deserve to be in the atrocious bracket whether you do or not.

[Luton Bad Boy]

Originally Posted by Whippy We may struggle in certain conditions but you struggle EVERYWHERE outside Asia. We have had our moments at least. We dont deserve to be in the atrocious bracket whether you do or not.

On reflection, atricious was too strong of a word, I actually meant submissive in certain conditions like us. However 100% agree at least England fight the battle, whilst Pakistan are fighting for the quickest to the pavillion!

[ahsan17]

Originally Posted by Whippy Just like we probably would have won the series in Pakistan if an uber-chucker hadn't got our captain out in both innings of the first test, and the umpire hadn't turned down a plumb lbw from Flintoff to Inzy on day 4 in the second test.

Oh wow. Now you're calling him a chucker to back yourself up. How pathetic. Get a life moron. And as for that whatever LBW you're talking about, may I remind you that trescothick was plumb LBW as well when he was like 40. Went on to make 193. Be happy your humiliation wasn't bigger than it was.

We may struggle in certain conditions but you struggle EVERYWHERE outside Asia. We have had our moments at least. We dont deserve to be in the atrocious bracket whether you do or not.

What do you mean we struggle outside Asia. Tell me a team that has a good record in Pakistan. Just one. I'll help you out: Instead of wasting your time, i'll give you the answer. There is no such team. We actually have a pretty decent record in England where we have won 8 test matches and 3 test series as opposed to England who have only won 2 test matches EVER in Pakistan. And we also have a very good record in New Zealand too, winning 8 test matches there and losing 4. So before opening your mouth without knowing any facts, better think twice about what you're saying.

[Big Mac]

Originally Posted by ahsan17 Oh wow. Now you're calling him a chucker to back yourself up. How pathetic. Get a life moron.

The only morons here would be those who insist Shabbir doesn't chuck.

[Billy]

It would have been a much tighter series, as would the series in Pakistan if circumstances had been different.

However, they weren't.

[Luton Bad Boy]

Can everyone get off this nostaligic trip of what could have happened, should have happened etc etc. Look to the future, England have WI and India, I say easy wins, and Pakistan have South Africa and Australia at home, tough teams but, with our 'full strength' team whoever they maybe will give them a good fight I hope!

[James]

Originally Posted by ahsan17 Oh wow. Now you're calling him a chucker to back yourself up. How pathetic. Get a life moron. And as for that whatever LBW you're talking about, may I remind you that trescothick was plumb LBW as well when he was like 40. Went on to make 193. Be happy your humiliation wasn't bigger than it was.

I was highlighting that the fact I could easily say things about the reverse series just as Hash said about the series in England, however relevant this practice may be. And he is a chucker, a disgrace to cricket in fact.

Originally Posted by ahsan17 What do you mean we struggle outside Asia. Tell me a team that has a good record in Pakistan. Just one. I'll help you out: Instead of wasting your time, i'll give you the answer. There is no such team. We actually have a pretty decent record in England where we have won 8 test matches and 3 test series as opposed to England who have only won 2 test matches EVER in Pakistan. And we also have a very good record in New Zealand too, winning 8 test matches there and losing 4. So before opening your mouth without knowing any facts, better think twice about what you're saying.

We were on the subject of current England and Pakistan sides, not increasingly ancient history.

[Luton Bad Boy]

Originally Posted by Whippy I was highlighting that the fact I could easily say things about the reverse series just as Hash said about the series in England, however relevant this practice may be. And he is a chucker, a disgrace to cricket in fact. We were on the subject of current England and Pakistan sides, not increasingly ancient history.

Whippy mate what you've said is alright man, man here get their underwear in a twist if you say the words Pakistan and crap in the same sentence!

[James]

I like winding people up though, even when I already know I'm right. Most of them have got used to me but evidently not everyone has.

[Easa]

Ah, a likely story. When you can't prove people wrong with facts, resort to the 'winding up' theory. Continue on, just waiting until England play Australia again. Should be a few laughs.

[ahsan17]

Originally Posted by Whippy I was highlighting that the fact I could easily say things about the reverse series just as Hash said about the series in England, however relevant this practice may be. And he is a chucker, a disgrace to cricket in fact. We were on the subject of current England and Pakistan sides, not increasingly ancient history.

The series in Pakistan could not have been reverse. Tell me something that could've made it go reverse. Whereas same cannot be said about the series in England. And as for your chucker notion, you may call him whatever you want. Fact of matter is your opinion doesn't matter as long as ICC allows him to play. You can go whine about it as much as you want.

And how is the current England side any good away from home compared to Pakistan? 5-0 drubbing in England, 1-1 draw in India, 2-0 in Pakistan. We're actually very good away when at full strength, like you saw at Port Elizabeth.

[James]

I've already proven the one hater wrong.

Yes we lost 5-0, but everyone knew we were going to, we knew we deserved to and it was pretty funny by the end anyway. Anyone would have lost that series 5-0, it was against one of the best and most determined performances ever seen. We won the one day series and beat them at home so it isnt all bad. Haven't you lost 9 consecutive tests to them?

[Easa]

Originally Posted by Whippy I've already proven the one hater wrong. Yes we lost 5-0, but everyone knew we were going to, we knew we deserved to and it was pretty funny by the end anyway. Anyone would have lost that series 5-0, it was against one of the best and most determined performances ever seen. We won the one day series and beat them at home so it isnt all bad. Haven't you lost 9 consecutive tests to them?

When did I compare Pakistan to them? I just said it will be a few laughs, which it undoubtedly will. And as for the 'everyone knew we were going to lose' routine, you know that is getting stale. England were getting bigged up by their own players and media and fell down in a collective heap.

[James]

They weren't getting bigged up. There were some happy noises being made, but everyone impartial who had a brain knew we would lose. It is more likely to provide great cricket than laughs when we next play them, as it has been hugely entertaining in the majority of one dayers and tests between the sides for nearly 5 years now.

[pakistanbest]

eng v pak be good serious always this would have been a cracker if all players were fit

[Wasim_Waqar]

Originally Posted by ahsan17 The series in Pakistan could not have been reverse. Tell me something that could've made it go reverse. Whereas same cannot be said about the series in England. And as for your chucker notion, you may call him whatever you want. Fact of matter is your opinion doesn't matter as long as ICC allows him to play. You can go whine about it as much as you want. And how is the current England side any good away from home compared to Pakistan? 5-0 drubbing in England, 1-1 draw in India, 2-0 in Pakistan. We're actually very good away when at full strength, like you saw at Port Elizabeth.

That is true, exactly my point in this thread.