England Cricket 2024

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Well this looks interesting. In a anything-could-happen kinda way.

Pakistan to re-use same pitch in Multan for second Test against England

James Anderson says Ben Stokes is "good to go" as England ponder changes to XI

www.espncricinfo.com

They're also dropping Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah.

I guess the plan is to go spin heavy but it all looks a bit panicky and desperate doesn't it.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Well presumably the pitch will be low and slow to begin with and then will get lower and slower as the game goes on. This should make for some very turgid cricket.

It's the home side's prerogative to prepare the kind of pitch they want, but I'm not impressed by Pakistan.

 

[planetgeli]

They're also dropping Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah.

I guess the plan is to go spin heavy but it all looks a bit panicky and desperate doesn't it.

Their management is shot to shit. In turmoil even before this, now they've dropped their 'best' batter and pace bowler against the wishes of the head coach (Gillespie) and Captain. Who weren't even invited to the selection meeting, even though they are on that committee.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Utter chaos. Babar is horribly out of form so there is an argument to drop him. Afridi and Shah are Pakistan's best bowlers. There's a nagging doubt over Afridi since his injury, but there isn't anyone better to come in.

Looks like they've just ripped up their entire plan after this test. They were trying to protect a fragile batting unit by producing a road. Team had apparently asked for something that helped the seamers. Now they appear to be planning spin-friendly conditions with a whole new attack.

And who exactly is deciding all of this?

Chaos doesn't quite cover it.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Stokes for Woakes looks to be the likely change.

Cricinfo podcast made a decent case for not even picking Stokes if he can't bowl. I can kind of see it. I'd want Stokes over Pope purely as a batter, but Pope's done little wrong really (and I was quite impressed by how he handled things, tbh, having been less impressed vs SL). Be very bazball in a way for Stokes to choose to leave himself out. He'll be back and crucial come New Zealand, but he may not be so crucial in Pak.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Stokes plays instead of Woakes so presumably able to bowl, Potts also in for Atkinson, which I guess makes sense in terms of rotation. The batting lineup does look stronger with him in there and Smith at seven doesn't it. It seems a bit mad to say so after England scored such a huge total but there was a point with Pope out and Duckett maybe not batting that they maybe looked potentially vulnerable IMO.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Yes. Chris Woakes is an excellent number 8. One too high at 7.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Jack Leach, first England spinner to to take 2 wickets inside 10 overs of the first innings since 1889.

The 1889 fella was Jonny Briggs, and now I can't stop humming the theme tune.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Unsurprisingly slow going today on a used pitch. Guess we can't judge too much until both sides have batted.

 

[planetgeli]

Unsurprisingly slow going today on a used pitch. Guess we can't judge too much until both sides have batted.

Looks pretty benign from the highlights.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Jack Leach, first England spinner to to take 2 wickets inside 10 overs of the first innings since 1889.

The 1889 fella was Jonny Briggs, and now I can't stop humming the theme tune.

His first wicket was an absolute beauty. Having him back in the side does make Shoaib Bashir look pretty ordinary by comparison.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Looks pretty benign from the highlights.

I'm annoyed with Pakistan for doing this, though. It is desperation to change plans like this and it smacks of cowardice. I am a firm believer that it is the home team's prerogative to prepare pitches that suit their bowlers - in the end both teams have to play on it. But they guaranteed a sluggish pitch that was likely to give a poor spectacle. No consideration of any wider issues to do with the health of test cricket or even the long-term development of their own side. Just 'fuck, how do we give our boys some kind of chance here, now, in this match?' We may win the toss, in which case we have a chance. That seems to be the thinking.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

2 down this morning and into the bowlers.

Pakistan's spin heavy lineup is a bit weird. They might be setup to do well on a day 9-10 turning pitch, but there's enough there for England's seamers at the minute and Pakistan only have 1 pace bowler. If it doesn't start to turn a bit more, the 4th innings could be an irrelevance.

 

[Petcha]

2 down this morning and into the bowlers.

Pakistan's spin heavy lineup is a bit weird. They might be setup to do well on a day 9-10 turning pitch, but there's enough there for England's seamers at the minute and Pakistan only have 1 pace bowler. If it doesn't start to turn a bit more, the 4th innings could be an irrelevance.

And now their only seamer is hobbling while out there batting. Ooops.

 

[Idaho]

I'm interested to see how this works out. Novelty approach from Pakistan could be a surprise winner.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

366 on the board. 5 to seam, 5 to spin.

Not a bad score, but on a slow pitch without too many demons in it (yet) it still feels a bit light.

Will be interesting to see the batting tactics - the Bazball way of hitting bowlers out of the attack brings the risk of wickets for not much reward given how many spinners Pakistan have got to rotate. Logic says sensible accumulation, rotate the strike and tick the runs off, but Bazball doesn't do the logical approach.

 

[two sheds]

I must say I like the incredibly early starts. By the time you get up most of the tedious play has already gone so the innings is gone and you're nearly into a result already

 

[Petcha]

Going at over 7 an over.... this will be a mauling I think

 

[Spymaster]

I must say I like the incredibly early starts. By the time you get up most of the tedious play has already gone so the innings is gone and you're nearly into a result already

I keep forgetting to check the score when I wake up, then realise at about 10am that there's some cricket on

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Going at over 7 an over.... this will be a mauling I think

not sure this is ageing well...

 

[a_chap]

Oh... crap.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

The (used to be) traditional collapse. A lot on Jamie Smith's shoulders to nurse the tail somewhere close to parity.

 

[Petcha]

Smith will score his maiden double century, don't worry

 

[Santino]

'I am Ben Stokes, no man can get me out.'

'I am Noman.'

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

For Joe Root stat watchers:
590 & 591 behind Dravid and Kallis respectively; 680 behind Ponting; 3,223 behind Tendulkar.

 

[two sheds]

I thought 366 was a good total on this wicket.

 

[planetgeli]

Petcha has a lot to answer for

 

[Petcha]

It's mind games. England are just toying with them. I predict a lead of 300 by stumps tomorrow.

 

[Wilf]

Fuck, hadn't realised this was on again! Do they just have 4 nonoseconds between tests now?

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

The battle between bat and ball is very much in the ball's favour on a day 8 pitch. Pakistan 25/2, net 100/2, and it's all about spinners.

200 will be too many, Pakistan's frankly bizarre looking selection of 7 spin options looks like being inspired with hindsight.