Pakistan vs England Jul-Aug-Sep 2010

[angryangy]

Without being harsh to Bangladesh he hasn't scored well against a decent side in a long long time.

Not just Bangladesh, but also the West Indies. For the entirety of Cook's career, the West Indies have not consistently fielded a threatening bowling attack. At times, Bangladesh have even looked a little bit better, so it would only be harsh to Bangladesh not to draw attention to it.

What it looks like in numbers

How ever you like to cut it, by average or by strike rate, there's a big jump from the pack to the two stragglers. Although it is a longish time frame (one in which many bowlers from the start of the period are probably not those at the end of it), if you don't allow for teams to get around, the results can be a bit biased to whoever played well last week.

Cook's career thus displays plenty of correlation, with 33% of his runs coming from the 25% of his innings that have been played against these two attacks. This is not to say that he's completely useless, as his century against South Africa was nothing if not useful, but a less lucky man could well have found himself dropped at some point in the last two years.

The concern for England is that he has looked reasonably bad whether in the runs or not. It's not a case of him simply finding form so much as finding a way to look less like a giraffe with a cricket bat.

 

[AfridiRulez]

Pakistan are currently the WORST team in test matches.

 

[Dare]

Pakistan are currently the WORST team in test matches.

 

[MUFC1987]

I think I'd drop Cook for the last two matches. He is out of form and having two quality bowlers knocking him over each time isn't helping anyone. I say let him get back to County Cricket to find some form, ready for the Ashes. In his place we can then call up Carberry to see what he can do against a quality attack, plus it gives him some match practice to either play a major part in the Ashes, or go on the tour as a backup opener. I think it's a Win-Win situation for me. I don't think the selectors will go for it though, seeing as they've lined Cook up as the next Captain.

 

[sifter132]

Not just Bangladesh, but also the West Indies. For the entirety of Cook's career, the West Indies have not consistently fielded a threatening bowling attack. At times, Bangladesh have even looked a little bit better, so it would only be harsh to Bangladesh not to draw attention to it.

Cook's career thus displays plenty of correlation, with 33% of his runs coming from the 25% of his innings that have been played against these two attacks.

Gosh I had no idea. So by elimination, he averages around 36 against the merely AVERAGE attacks or better. That's pretty awful. So he can be like the English Marcus North, it's only fair both sides are carrying a player

 

[Robelinda]

Isnt Strauss averaging less than Cook in the last 12 months?

Still, no doubt Strauss is a better player. Cook has never filled me with confidence at any stage of his career, maybe that tour of India was the exception.

 

[angryangy]

Jimmy is the main problem in that department, since when the ball swings he can be near unplayable, but when it's flat he looks very mediocre. He doesn't have the accuracy of a Hilfenhaus when the ball isn't doing anything

I find he drops short when he's struggling, perhaps deliberately trying to bang it in. I think he may be mentally geared too much for swing, so that if it's not swinging, he adds to his problem by trying to do things that don't work very well. The simplest tasks become difficult under enough pressure and there's no greater source of that than one's own head.

 

[Owzat]

All too easy a win, both innings Pakistan let one pair get away to a big partnership and they dropped too many catches. Pietersen was a key beneficiary first innings, Strauss second innings.

Haider needs to tidy up his keeping, it wasn't and rarely is easy to keep to spin, but he can't afford to miss too many chances. I am a strong believer in the keeper being a batsman who keeps to an acceptable level. Sure catches can be costly, but other fielders drop catches and sides do need some batting from their keeper

For me a keeper can work on his keeping, sure they can work on their batting but an assured batsman should make more runs and drop few catches whereas a more assured keeper may catch more, but will they ever be that batsman that can score crucial 50s and 100s when needed? Stewart is the model I'd use, improved his keeping as his career progressed. Jack Russell was a decent batsman and good keeper, until he starting mucking around with his keeping stance and became less of a keeper and batsman in my books. Even the supposed "best" keepers drop catches.

Isnt Strauss averaging less than Cook in the last 12 months?

Still, no doubt Strauss is a better player. Cook has never filled me with confidence at any stage of his career, maybe that tour of India was the exception.

Because Strauss missed the Bangladesh tour

Cook (07/08/09-09/08/10)

Tests : 22 inns, 808 runs @ 38.48

vs AUS : 4 inns, 79 runs @ 19.75
vs SAF : 7 inns, 287 runs @ 41.00
vs BAN : 7 inns, 401 runs @ 66.83
vs PAK : 4 inns, 41 runs @ 10.25

Strauss (07/08/09-09/08/10)

Tests : 18 inns, 644 runs @ 37.88

vs AUS : 4 inns, 165 runs @ 41.25
vs SAF : 7 inns, 170 runs @ 24.29
vs BAN : 3 inns, 186 runs @ 62.00
vs PAK : 4 inns, 123 runs @ 41.00

I don't know how many saw Botham's comments on s*y, I'm sure he said Cook should play through but then highlighted Cook's good averages against most Test opposition EXCEPT how poor it is against Australia (mid 20s)

The selectors need to make a decision right now, continue with Cook and take him on tour, or try someone else and work on the theory that any improvement in form by Cook may or may not make a difference. His average against the aussies should be taken into account, if Cook fails to improve then taking him on tour is a bigger risk than sending him back to Essex to score some runs and then taking him down under 'freshly rested from Tests'

Strauss had a blip against South Africa, he averaged over 50 in the 2009 Ashes and near as makes no difference 40 in 2005. He did average only mid-20s on the last Ashes tour (as did Cook), but his career average against the aussies is high 30s compared to Cook's mid 20s.

 

[killer7xx]

The solution is... make him captain The stats speak for themselves:

As captain: 342 runs @ 114.00 in 4 innings

2 centurys, 0 fifties, HS 173 and a SR of 63.33

 

[pcfan123]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhEV3ES9kWM#!

 

[Owzat]

The solution is... make him captain The stats speak for themselves:

As captain: 342 runs @ 114.00 in 4 innings

2 centurys, 0 fifties, HS 173 and a SR of 63.33

Not exactly a large sample, and that was in Bangladesh

Strauss (Captain)

P24 W12 D9 L3 (Won 50.00%)*

As captain : 43 inns, 2011 runs @ 50.28 (100 x6, 50 x8)
vs AUS/SAF/PAK : 15 inns, 1210 runs @ 46.54 (100 x3, 50 x6)
vs BAN/WIN : 9 inns, 801 runs @ 57.21 (100 x3, 50 x2)

*howstat.com.au reckons he's played 25 Tests as captain, I think one was abandoned and I tend not to count that and don't know why anyone does!

He also has a 50 to 100 conversion rate of 42.9% and a 75% call rate at the toss. His three defeats were away in West Indies when the batting capitulated for 51, against the aussies in the Ashes and the final Test in South Africa where England didn't reach 200 in either innings with Cook and Strauss making just 22 runs each in the match compared to Collingwood whose 47 and 71 were by far the biggest contribution.

Oh and superhero Anderson took 0/111, when the going gets tough, Anderson ain't no f in use

 

[RoboRocks]

I find he drops short when he's struggling, perhaps deliberately trying to bang it in. I think he may be mentally geared too much for swing, so that if it's not swinging, he adds to his problem by trying to do things that don't work very well. The simplest tasks become difficult under enough pressure and there's no greater source of that than one's own head.

I don't think it's a mental thing. He doesn't have as much control as your typical swing bowler (such as a Hilfenhaus or Hoggard). Even when conditions are in his favor, he can lose his Line and Length occasionally. When the ball is swinging, bad balls are nullified to more of an extent. Generally, a classic swing bowler will bowl economically and keep pressure from that end, but Anderson isn't the same.

 

[Leggie]

I went to the third day of this match on Sunday just for jokes. The ground had a good atmosphere, but felt slightly empty considering England were expected to wrap it up on that day.

From my view, the Pakistani batsmen looked all at bay and Swanny was bowling like there was no tomorrow, he was unbelievable The ball to Farhat was like, WOW. Enjoyed watching Haider and Ajmal put up that fight as much as I wanted England to finish it off that day. Zulqarnain seems a nitty grity player from what I saw, he really dug it out, I felt slightly gutted for him when he holed out to Strauss at mid off.

Didn't have the best seats, but hey you can't complain for a tenner.

 

[Owzat]

I think it's kind of apt there is a long break between second and third Tests, the series is more or less dying a death and there's little excitement anyway as it is so one sided.

England : 985 runs for the loss of 30 wkts @ 32.83 rpw
Pakistan : 630 runs for the loss of 40 wkts @ 15.75 rpw

Pakistan have only once passed 200 and twice failed to reach 100. The only time England haven't passed 250 is when there weren't 250 runs needed to win, they made 118/1.

I expect England to slip into the "unchanged squad" mentality while winning, no forward thinking or planning for the Ashes. I'd certainly either rest Cook or move him down the order and try an alternative opener, no better time than now and no worse time than DURING the Ashes trying to find out if someone is good enough. I might even be tempted to rest Anderson, he's not going to prove much here. Perhaps send him off to practise with the balls (?) they use down under. Work on his mental approach, what to do when the ball isn't swinging etc. What England tend to do is panic, bowl bouncers and yorkers and become very predictable. They just aren't cut out to force errors through line and length

 

[Themer]

I might even be tempted to rest Anderson, he's not going to prove much here.

I think that Anderson has everything to prove in this test. The pitch is one of the flattest, has little swing and therefore should be a good test of how Anderson will go down under.