Australia and Pakistan in UAE

[ZexyZahid]

When is that practice match going to be played?

If they want, Australia can take precautionary measures also for Marsh, Symonds and Watson.

 

[aussie1st]

Didn't expect Bollinger to be called up but clearly the selectors are using this series to get our bowlers ready for the Ashes.

 

[WORLD CHAMPIONS]

Didn't expect Bollinger to be called up but clearly the selectors are using this series to get our bowlers ready for the Ashes.

Is our man good in short format, Syl

 

[aussie1st]

In the early parts of his career he was awesome in the shorter forms, now hes pretty average. Our bowling attack is seriously going to be missing a fast bowler. Just a shame Bird got called for chucking as we could have used his pace. Now we have to hope another Tait/Lee comes off the tree as there aren't anymore of them atm.

 

[piriyanth]

Dam Lee won't be playing.:.
That means most of our bowlers are inexperienced

I am also suprised that they didn't select White because we need a big hitter who could be effective at the final overs.

 

[smssia0112]

When was the last time White was actually effective at the final overs though?

I'm getting pretty sick of Dave Hussey too, gets all the starts then throws it away. Brad Hodge would be a better option, as I've said over and over, he's a better batsman than Hussey and deserves another go.

 

[Insomniac]

It doesn't matter who you put in, we're winning 5-0 and putting Australia at #4

/ End optimistic me :cool:

Anyway, on a serious note, Australia can go down to #4 if Pakistan win the series 4-1 or 5-0.

If Australia beat South Africa in this upcoming 4th ODI, then Pakistan must beat Australia 5-0 to take the #3 spot.

Kinda optimistic, but it could happen

Also, I'm just wondering, wheres Shaun Tait? Injured, dead, retired, or just not good enough anymore (he was a 150 kph, so it can't be that, or can it)?

 

[sifter132]

It doesn't matter who you put in, we're winning 5-0 and putting Australia at #4

/ End optimistic me :cool:

Anyway, on a serious note, Australia can go down to #4 if Pakistan win the series 4-1 or 5-0.

If Australia beat South Africa in this upcoming 4th ODI, then Pakistan must beat Australia 5-0 to take the #3 spot.

Kinda optimistic, but it could happen

Also, I'm just wondering, wheres Shaun Tait? Injured, dead, retired, or just not good enough anymore (he was a 150 kph, so it can't be that, or can it)?

Call me a 'glass half empty' fan, but the Aussies really are ripe for the picking in this series. There's concerns over fitness, form and focus:

Fitness: Let's see, Marsh, Watson, Symonds, Clark are coming back from injury. Bollinger and Hilfenhaus haven't played for a while. The others are coming to the end of a month of battering in SA (or more for those in the Test squad).

What about form?? Haddin and Ferguson are the only batsmen to have got past 50 twice in this current series v SA and none of those 4 scores have been large enough to change a game. James Hopes is probably the batsman most in form, but he'll bat at #7 (at the highest) and honestly, an in form James Hopes isn't too scary for Pakistan. How about bowlers? Only one guy in form and he's not touring - Mitch. Hauritz had one good game but after that he and all the other guys have been cannon fodder basically, the usually reliable Bracken included.

So we've got fitness and form concerns. I think we'll have focus concerns too. The selectors are clearly using this as a tune up for the T20 World Cup and the Ashes particularly with the original selection of Lee and appointment of Stuart Clark as a replacement. I think that will seep into the players minds and they won't value this series as much as they should. Individually some players have a lot to prove, but as a team I can see us sleep walking through this series.

 

[Annoyingdevil]

Afridi always plays well in UAE
Lets hope his on FIRE!!!

 

[Gunner786]

hope to see this xi

Butt
Jamshed
Younis
Malik
Misbah
Afridi
Akmal
Arafat
Tanvir
Gul
Akhtar

 

[usy]

<_< I just posted the same team on Page 4 b.

 

[Pak_cricketer]

I really want to see Fawad Alam in the team instead of Afridi. That lad has made sooo many runs this season that it's not funny anymore.

 

[usy]

werd. but I think Afridi is more likey to play, due to the fact that he has popular support there in UAE, so he'll be expected to preform. While, I would agree, we would get to see best of Fawad Alam if he played.

 

[Pak_cricketer]

actually, in Gambino's line up, we could just take out Arafat and put in Alam.

But.. The PCB will probably do something stupid like make Akmal a makeshift opener, and put in Alam...

 

[sami ullah khan]

^Akmal is hardly worth opening. He sucks at everything from wicket keeping to batting