Opinion 2014-15 Cricket Thread

[Twinkletoes]

MJ is an animal.

Racist!

 

[year of the roo]

How is Misbah and Younis Khan still around? Must be pushing 40.

Never mind, Imran Khan still to come I see.

 

[muttley45]

Estimates of the crowd at this test ? i will go out on a limb, and say about 20-30, that is the emptiest ground i have seen for while

 

[Twinkletoes]

Estimates of the crowd at this test ? i will go out on a limb, and say about 20-30, that is the emptiest ground i have seen for while

I went to this stadium in August 2009. It's in the middle of nowhere way out back from the touristy Jumeira Beach area. It's a hike by car and, bar local expats and Pakistani workers, most of whom would be in construction, it would hold very little appeal to the neutrals and locals (few of whom would even know WTF cricket is). The heat is beyond energy sapping too, and that stadium's shaded areas are few and far between.

 

[Dan]

Are you batsman or ebola? :sternlook

#batsmanorebola?

 

[DaveyBoy123]

I see there weren't many comments after the 1st couple of wickets. Probably because a few people with insomnia were cured by the final 5 hours of play. Gee, that was tough to watch.

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

Paki's playing boring one-dimensional cricket, seem that worked so well for SA against us.

 

[Cold Gin]

Our spinners currently one for two hundred and plenty. Watch theirs come out and bowl grenades. Nothing surer.

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

Our spinners currently one for two hundred and plenty. Watch theirs come out and bowl grenades. Nothing surer.

Typical Asian pitches.

 

[Marstermind]

Our spinners currently one for two hundred and plenty. Watch theirs come out and bowl grenades. Nothing surer.

I'm no cricket expert but Australia always do this in the sub-continent - pick two quicks, two spinners, one moderate seamer and hope some part-timers do something. But it never works. The Lyon just gets by and second spinner is always sub-Test standard (White, Maxwell, O'Keefe, Doherty, Beer have all played Tests over there), the seamer is next to useless (Henriques) and the part-timer is purely for when things get desperate (which they always do).

This pitch looks like a road to me. Hard for any bowler to get much out of it and the Pakis are playing pretty smartly. But after Siddle and Johnson have had their short spell, it looks like anyone who can hold the bat up the right way could survive on that pitch. Given it's no dust bowl turning sideways, wouldn't a third quality quick be better than a second second-rate spinner?

 

[gustev]

I'm no cricket expert but Australia always do this in the sub-continent - pick two quicks, two spinners, one moderate seamer and hope some part-timers do something. But it never works. The Lyon just gets by and second spinner is always sub-Test standard (White, Maxwell, O'Keefe, Doherty, Beer have all played Tests over there), the seamer is next to useless (Henriques) and the part-timer is purely for when things get desperate (which they always do).

This pitch looks like a road to me. Hard for any bowler to get much out of it and the Pakis are playing pretty smartly. But after Siddle and Johnson have had their short spell, it looks like anyone who can hold the bat up the right way could survive on that pitch. Given it's no dust bowl turning sideways, wouldn't a third quality quick be better than a second second-rate spinner?

And right on cue, the spinners knock over the tail.....and Warner starts knocking it around.

 

[Marstermind]

And right on cue, the spinners knock over the tail.....and Warner starts knocking it around.

Not really. Every wicket on Day 2 was a slog to an ordinary ball. And a front line spinner didn't get any of them until 400 was already on the board.

 

[Mr Reliable]

Estimates of the crowd at this test ? i will go out on a limb, and say about 20-30, that is the emptiest ground i have seen for while

Someone suggested that the ''crowd'' is Swervin' Merv Hughes and his touring party (and the extremely attractive young woman sitting beside Geoff Marsh). May be Mitch Marsh's partner?? MM, by the way, is a big NM follower I understand, as is brother Shaun.

scottywiper may be able to confirm.

 

[Saintly31]

I'm a huge cricket fan, was my no 1 sport in terms of playing and watching in younger years.

But the combo of Clarke and Watson in senior roles, being just so unsuited and unlikable, has really made me lose interest in last few years.

If it were not for Johnson's heroics in recent series, I doubt I'd even bother watching.

 

[Cold Gin]

I'm a huge cricket fan, was my no 1 sport in terms of playing and watching in younger years.

But the combo of Clarke and Watson in senior roles, being just so unsuited and unlikable, has really made me lose interest in last few years.

If it were not for Johnson's heroics in recent series, I doubt I'd even bother watching.

I hear you, Saintly, but don't be put off by the personalities. There has been some superb test cricket played in recent times, and the greatest form of cricket needs our support!

 

[Saintly31]

I hear you, Saintly, but don't be put off by the personalities. There has been some superb test cricket played in recent times, and the greatest form of cricket needs our support!

Ha, fair call and I yep I do try not to be put off.

I have enjoyed the series, especially beating the Poms, but watching Watson and Clarke prissy around just doesn't work for me. Give me a Taylor or Waugh type any day of the week over those two clowns.

Anyway, I continue to support over 20/20 rubbish and will still attend tests where I can every year.

 

[Black2Blue]

At least this test match will put cricket back in the headlines. Ouch.

 

[Cold Gin]

Any chance someone can teach the Pakistanis to shout "Howzat", instead of screeching as though they've been shot?

 

[Arthur Cloke]

Any chance someone can teach the Pakistanis to shout "Howzat", instead of screeching as though they've been shot?

Yeah, it's a real flight on the game. Those LBW's were laughable. And poor old Gazza Lyon, talk about being thrown in the deep-end. If the tail can wag as much as he did, we are not out of this game by any use of your imagination!!!! Fatso Lehmann still has some faeces up his sleeve - he's not going anywhere.

 

[ShinbonerBaz]

......so, er when does cricket season start?

 

[Heaps of fun]

Pretty funny how quiet it is. I only like to see Australia beat the RSA and England, love seeing a country like Pakistan sticking it up the imperialist pigdogs that we are.

 

[Spitter9]

Do these paki w***ers appeal for everything?

 

[Groucho]

Anyone told Maxwell its a Test match?

 

[ShinbonerBaz]

Do these paki ******s appeal for everything?

Does seem to be a sub continental habit, but I guess they have at least had something, mildly like, worth appealing for, unlike Aus.

 

[Mr Reliable]

Anyone told Maxwell its a Test match?

You could argue that he looks more vulnerable when he's trying to play orthodox.