| | This England v Pakistan series is having some surprises for everyone |
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By the time I am starting to write my blog 1.50 pm in afternoon Pakistan time on boxing day, where severe battle going on between Aussies and the Indians, where initially Indians dominated the earlier hours by taking six wickets inside a nominal score of 250, but than Haddin was retaliating when I got up and started with my work, now when I checked the scores, Aussies are still on 6 wicket loss for the score of 277, and the Aussie debutant Ed Cowen, like other Aussie Debutants in past, starting to show his colours, after ZAK and Umesh Yadav throttled Aussie lineup and rung danger bells just after the jingle bells. I, being a cricket fan, just wish k May the Best Team wins, because both teams which are on the ground playing for the win.
Another two exciting test teams, although one is on the top of the ranking tables whereas another is on the fifth position, but still Pakistan has the chance to play well and raise both, their moral and their rankings, as in comparison to Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, this is the tough opponent Pakistan is about to start their new years with. Everyone is saying that Pakistan has the upper hand to make Poms lay down on the knees, but I think the other way.
WHY I AM SAYING THIS?
I am saying this because last time, when England toured UAE to play 2 T20 internationals just before the World T20 2010 event in the Caribbean, everyone rated that Pakistan might beat England easily, but English players proved that they are capable of playing outside their English conditions. I am referring to their last venture in the deserts, although many of my fellow colleagues are referring me to their 2005 tour to Pakistan, where Mercurial Shoaib Akhtar took the game away from them, but in my personal opinion, useless to compare that English team with today as today's English team is far more better than that team where their bench strength is a matter of concern for opposition team, this was not the case with Englishmen that time, players like Trescothick, Vaughan, Flintoff are out of the team and are replaced with new blood who are winning them the trophies, and I fear that next 50 over Cricket World Cup might also belong to them as what I am feeling, there are still alot of things in the bag for the English Camp, which they are gonna expose in Australia 2015.
BUT
Still test of how much they can they tackle to hold the pressure of maintaining the same performance of which they won the Male version of World T20 as this is the first ICC Trophy that they have won, so there would be immense pressure over them too while playing against Pakistan.
| | There are concerns more for Pakistan |
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WHAT ABOUT PAKISTAN?
Pakistan no doubt on the driving seat, but Pakistan shouldn't get over-confident as this is a genetic problem with them, they should remember one thing that Mushtaq Ahmed is when them, and remember that their last test venture in South Asia was a series win, so useless to get over confident.
Batting woes:
This is the one thing, English camp would surely be eying on, because in the tests, if minus Misbah and YK, Pakistan batting is as bleak as bowling for India, although optimistic personnel might say that we have Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali etc, but I say they are still new to the arena, they surely need some senior support in order to build their innings, like in their last tour to Pakistan, Inzamam, MoYo and YK were targeted openly by their bowlers like Harmison, this time they are surely gonna cash on by taking wickets of four main batting pillars of Pakistani lineup i.e. Hafeez, Taufiq Umar, YK and Misbah himself.
Past experience:
Two of the young players in Pakistani team, i.e. Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq, would still be haunted by their last tour to England, where both made their debut, those memories might still hamper their performance, and I am damn sure, Poms' media would surely gonna exploit that factor as well.
Camouflage:
English media is claiming that the series between England and Pakistan would be only a spinner versus spinner. I totally disagree with that.
- Both teams are more blessed with faster bowlers in comparison to spinners.
- Comparison useless, as Pakistan has two frontline spinners in the team in Ajmal and A. Rehman whereas England have Swann and Panesar, the kinda spin bowlers both team possess is of no comparison
- As Mushtaq Ahmed is with their bowlers, he would definitely guide their bowlers how to bowl on those wickets, secondly in comparison to Pakistan, England would be on more high as their last successful test venture was against the formidable batting lineup team...
- It'd be more of a mind game that which team's think-tank went for the best planning for game.
Continuous cricket for Pakistan - Fatigue problem:
One should also remember that from the tour of Zimbabwe, Pakistan has been continuously playing cricket, against the tough conditions of Emirates, than to moist and colder place of Bangladesh, than again to Emirates for Series against England, which could hamper their fitness level for sure, and team management should look into this matter as well as in the past too, Pakistani players got injured in the nick of the time, PCB did the right thing to void their contracts with Dhaka Cricket League, in order to avoid this thing, but they should also give chance to the bench strength guys as well so that we could also know when to utilize their capabilities, as what I feel they are not sure of when to utilize their own BS on the right spot.
More matter of concern for Pakistan than England, as England is coming from a rest period.
POST SCRIPT
Being a Pakistani, I'd love to have my team win but I can't avoid these factors which could hamper team's performance.
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