Pakistan tour of Australia and New Zealand 2023/24

[wasteyouryouth]

It is refreshing to see Shan Masood's captaincy. A step above Babar Azam.

Post automatically merged: Dec 27, 2023

Wahab Riaz was against him due to his pace - seems almost like a joke now that we can't even seem to maintain 80 with a new cherry.

What I've seen, Hassan and Mir have been bowling very well.

 

[wasteyouryouth]

52 extras. That's appalling.

 

[CerealKiller]

Best bowling performance in Australia in a decade

 

[Bigby Wolf]

Out of context cricket question here?

Are pitch ads being displayed have also gone digital in both front and side of wickets especially in Australia?

You will see NRMA in one over and other you will see download the big bash app one.

And on side there is Bank Alfalah

 

[Ahmad94]

What I don’t understand about Imam is - surely he knows he’s not a technically sound batsmen like Abdullah Shafique. All his runs come on flat tracks.

Why then would you play super defensively and essentially become a walking wicket? Unless his job is simply to play out the new ball to protect the others - so a glorified night watchman!

 

[Bevab]

Best bowling performance in Australia in a decade

Feels weird that this could be true and you could still criticise their bowling given the fact that extras was the second highest run scorer for Australia and their team total’s over 300.

 

[pillowprocter]

Feels weird that this could be true and you could still criticise their bowling given the fact that extras was the second highest run scorer for Australia and their team total’s over 300.

It's the 20 byes that are a wince for me

 

[Bevab]

It's the 20 byes that are a wince for me

Some of those lines were atrocious. Jamal’s ability to switch between being innocuous to dangerous is truly remarkable.

Another day, another overseas batting unit failing to turn up on these Aussie soils. This test should be shown to anyone who claims that you need mythical beasts that bowl at 150 kph consistently to win in Australia when the more important thing is a batting lineup that can keep the team in the game at all times.

 

[noducksallowed]

Some of those lines were atrocious. Jamal’s ability to switch between being innocuous to dangerous is truly remarkable.

Another day, another overseas batting unit failing to turn up on these Aussie soils. This test should be shown to anyone who claims that you need mythical beasts that bowl at 150 kph consistently to win in Australia when the more important thing is a batting lineup that can keep the team in the game at all times.

I said this even before the series started and people didn't agree...in Australia, especially in the last 13-ish years, when teams have done wel or outright won, they have done so through batting (England under Strauss and the two Indian victories...the outlier may be SA and the brilliant Steyn).

Anyway, in terms of the cricket, what a day!

I stayed up hopeful it might be a good day of cricket, it turned into a great one. Pakistan bowled absolutely beautiful, even with some up and down effort the day before, Hasan Ali was so so good and unlucky on at least two occasions and Pakistani slip fielder even held on to their catches!

Then Pakistan started ok, Imam failing yet again through negativity rather than lack of ability but Shafique once more looked a threat and Shan played aggressive. Everyone else around them fell apart while Cummins performed two miracles, the one handed blinder and an all time great in nipper to get Babar.

Honours even after two days imo but Australia ascending but if both Rizwan and Jamal play carefully, they should look to add another 100 runs because the pitch really has no demons and the bowl is only going to get worse...but knowing them, they will both be out playing silly shots.

 

[Bevab]

I said this even before the series started and people didn't agree...in Australia, especially in the last 13-ish years, when teams have done wel or outright won, they have done so through batting (England under Strauss and the two Indian victories...the outlier may be SA and the brilliant Steyn).

Anyway, in terms of the cricket, what a day!

I stayed up hopeful it might be a good day of cricket, it turned into a great one. Pakistan bowled absolutely beautiful, even with some up and down effort the day before, Hasan Ali was so so good and unlucky on at least two occasions and Pakistani slip fielder even held on to their catches!

Then Pakistan started ok, Imam failing yet again through negativity rather than lack of ability but Shafique once more looked a threat and Shan played aggressive. Everyone else around them fell apart while Cummins performed two miracles, the one handed blinder and an all time great in nipper to get Babar.

Honours even after two days imo but Australia ascending but if both Rizwan and Jamal play carefully, they should look to add another 100 runs because the pitch really has no demons and the bowl is only going to get worse...but knowing them, they will both be out playing silly shots.

Agreed, I’ve said it in the past when England kept wistfully pining for a real quick to skittle the Aussies that the bigger concern was their inability to handle the Aussie bowling. The South African batting lineup had some of their best batters in both 2008 and 2012 too, 2016 was the real outlier (still had Quinny, Amla and a Faf before his decline) and even that side wasn’t particularly bailed out by Steyn given he bowled only in one innings; credit must go to Abbott who isn’t that quick by any measure.

 

[noducksallowed]

Agreed, I’ve said it in the past when England kept wistfully pining for a real quick to skittle the Aussies that the bigger concern was their inability to handle the Aussie bowling. The South African batting lineup had some of their best batters in both 2008 and 2012 too, 2016 was the real outlier (still had Quinny, Amla and a Faf before his decline) and even that side wasn’t particularly bailed out by Steyn given he bowled only in one innings; credit must go to Abbott who isn’t that quick by any measure.

Yep! And just reviewing Australia's current attack, Hazlewood has been one of their best bowlers for over 5 years now across formats and he is essentially 130-ish in pace, Cummins is very much that these days also and Starc can obviously hit 140 but he isn't a Johnson, Pattinson or Tait type of bowler. All these guys rely on good line, length, swing or seam.

Pakistan, even without their best bowlers available and Shaheen bowling it seems with one knee, when keeping those tight lines and extracting seam have had the Aussies in trouble, particularly in this match. They just need a very very good batting showing and yet, in almost all recent tours they have arrived with either inexperienced batters or guys who have not been consistent enough in the side.

 

[scoodledoodle]

Shaheen,hasan,jamal and Rizwan are capable with the bat on their day

Let’s hope Rizwan grinds it out.The best day for Pak after the 2016 test

 

[CerealKiller]

Babar is just mentally and physically at rock bottom, I doubt he’s gonna make even one good score in this series. Maybe in Sydney in more friendly conditions, but even that seems distant at this point.
Honestly he and Rizwan are the only ones I expected to do well with the bat, been positively surprised by Imam, Abdullah and Shan. Hopefully Rizwan can add some useful runs tomorrow.

 

[scoodledoodle]

king Barbara Azeem averages 20 this year in tests

 

[noducksallowed]

king Barbara Azeem averages 20 this year in tests

I think this is the worst year Babar has ever had.

There have been hints of his usual class across both Tests and ODIs but starts have far too often been starts and not even conversions.

the recent fallout from the captaincy issue, the fallout from the PCBs witch hunt aimed at Babar's sports agent and so on has not helped either...maybe, just maybe, its time for him to take a bit of a break.