Pakistan v England 3rd Test, Sharjah, Nov 1-5

[Aidan11]

Hafeez has a long stay at the Holiday Inn.

[yuppie]

Misbah can book himself in for bed and breakfast.


We won't get him out like this.

This is what happens when you expect all rounders to perform like bowlers.

[hopeforthebest]

Milking time when Moeen's bowling, just too easy.

[Aidan11]

I hope the new ball makes a difference when the quicks will come back on.

[Aidan11]

Might as well bowl Root.


He can't do any worse.

[hopeforthebest]

The 3 spinner option is not a success and has been made worse by the injury to Stokes. Can't imagine going to SA with any of these spinners as the main spin option.

[Aidan11]

Not sure why we haven't taken the new ball.

[Aidan11]

I know it was only one over to lunch but it was worth a go.

[yuppie]

The 3 spinner option is not a success and has been made worse by the injury to Stokes. Can't imagine going to SA with any of these spinners as the main spin option.

But its not 3 spinners. 2 batting all rounders and 1 bowling all rounder would be more apt.

Reminds me of when Australia have picked Cameron White and Steve Smith as spinners.

[The Professor]

As far as I'm concerned this is Pakistan's game now.

Interesting stat: Misbah-ul-Haq has hit 12 sixes in this series so far, two away from leveling the world record of most sixes in a series

[shankycricket]

Does the spin bowlers' fan club still think its better to play rubbish spinners than good seamers in Asia? Swann and Monty's success might have been just down to them being good (and in Swann's case, world class) and not because they are "spinners". Maybe. Just maybe.



(now that I've said it, Pakistan will probably spectacularly collapse to spin).

[Arthur Crabtree]

Superb morning for Pakistan. England a little let down by their fielding again.

Maybe too much luck to be a great innings, but I would have thought Hafeez's knock will go down as one of the best against England this year, just because of the difficult circumstances in which it was made. Good effort by him to start again this morning. Proper grown-up batting from Mis.

[hopeforthebest]

Not the session England hoped for and Hafeez and Misbah look in supreme form so more misery is probably ahead. Wonder what Pakistan are think about the declaration, they wont want to give England even a snif of a chance so I reckon they will go for over three hundred as a minimum target.

[backfootpunch]

Another bad session and you feel this game is gone, I keep forgetting one of the wickets we have taken is rahat and they still have two proper batsmen to come

You get the feeling that if this new ball doesn't work then we are going to need a miracle innings by one of the batsmen

[Arthur Crabtree]

Does the spin bowlers' fan club still think its better to play rubbish spinners than good seamers in Asia? Swann and Monty's success might have been just down to them being good (and in Swann's case, world class) and not because they are "spinners". Maybe. Just maybe.



(now that I've said it, Pakistan will probably spectacularly collapse to spin).

I think they've got to reconsider how they are selecting their spinners. They should have been seen as their lead bowlers, rather than support bowlers. They have to start again. Pointless going through names, as no one can know how they would have done. Lack of belief in spin has cost England before, and perhaps it has once more (Samit Patel?). I don't think there's much point just picking more and more seamers. Once you get past A&B, there's a sharp fall off in quality. Pakistan have batted well.