[QUOTE=“Fitzy, post: 1040084, member: 236”]That was jokeshop stuff. Pathetic, this whole Australia can’t play spin excuse has to end. There’s been consistent whining over here about the state of the dead pitch. So why can’t you score runs on it then? There’s no point in whinging about Asian pitches anymore, they’re going to be like that, set up for Pakistan and India. So deal with it. Not good enough. I’m disappointed that someone who knows how to play spin, like Clarke, didn’t insist on serious preparation for it. The only, only positive for Australia to have come out of this whole debacle, is the confirmation that Stephen Smith is a very good cricketer who should be a bolt on certainty as the next test captain.
In saying all that, they’ll kill India at home.
Some serious thought has to be given in Australia about the state of the pitches. They’re all nice fast green tops, producing shit loads of wickets for the quicks. There are virtually no decent spinners coming through, or little thought given to them. Michael Hussey made the point last year that we are producing excellent limited overs batsmen, but no one knows how to build an innings anymore, as shield games are shorter and shorter and everything mitigates against batsmen learning how to stay in for long periods. The pitches are working against them, based on commercial decisions made by Cricket Australia. No one has listened to him of course.
Probably more importantly though, there is a lot to like about Pakistan, they play blistering cricket at times and look dangerous all over the park. Fair play to them, terrific performance by them [/QUOTE]
Didn’t they introduce some rule about playing a minimum amount of young players in Shield matches a few years back too which, while well intentioned, is thought to have done damage by reducing the quality of cricket that young players are coming in to?
A strong Pakistan is really good for cricket. It will surely reach the point very soon though that long term damage will be done to cricket in the country by the lack of international action taking place there.
[QUOTE=“braz83, post: 1040475, member: 390”]Didn’t they introduce some rule about playing a minimum amount of young players in Shield matches a few years back too which, while well intentioned, is thought to have done damage by reducing the quality of cricket that young players are coming in to?
A strong Pakistan is really good for cricket. It will surely reach the point very soon though that long term damage will be done to cricket in the country by the lack of international action taking place there.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I think they did Braz, but it was more a sop to those saying there was a lack of true development of young talent. I think part of the problem (and it’s a universal thing) is that a lot of the test team play limited overs internationals as well, or IPL and very few of them end up playing in the domestic four day competition. They need to be playing Shield cricket, not just for their own game, but for the development of overall talent as well.
Agreed about Pakistan. There is no way anyone is going to do a tour over there for years, the country is effectively in a civil war and will be for decades from what I can see. They need to keep playing these tests in Abu Dhabi or wherever. They have sych good cricketers and they’re a joy to watch. They seem to have genuinely worked on their issues with corruption as well, though there will always be question marks. But I would say they are probably far cleaner now than India are.
A strong Pakistan is really good for cricket. It will surely reach the point very soon though that long term damage will be done to cricket in the country by the lack of international action taking place there.[/QUOTE]
They’re a gas lot. Misbah is averaging 56 in test cricket since he turned 40, only Jack Hobbs has done better at that age. Waqar attributes this to the same recipe for success of Inzy before him - getting fat. 9 test caps between the attack that included two debut spinners (with Saeed Ajmal out for chucking), and they absolutely slaughter Australia in both tests.
Pakistan in a commanding position at stumps on Day 3 of the 1st test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi. Having declared on 566/3, New Zealand were bowled out for 262. Younis and Misbah both brought up unbeaten centuries before the declaration came.
Phil Hughes in a critical condition after being hit on the head by a bouncer at the scg today in a shield game for SA. helicopter took him to hospital. Does not look good.
Seems to have got him just below the ear, probably the only potentially vulnerable place that isn’t protected. Hope to fuck he pulls through. His mother and sister were there in the crowd too. You’d have to spare a thought for the bowler too, young enough lad I think.
He had surgery last night to relieve the pressure on his brain and is in a coma. They won’t know the results of the surgery for another 24-48 hours. The ball hit him just under his ear, under the edge of the helmet. He got up dazed and then fell face first into the ground. Terrible for Sean Abbot who bowled it and is a good friend of Hughes (Hughes was playing for SA who he moved to from NSW). He was well on his way to his 27th first class century and firmly in the frame to replace Michael Clarke in the side for the first test against India next week.
This is terrible. Phil Hughes has passed away this afternoon in St Vincents Hospital in Sydney. Fucking hell, I feel like a member of the family has died. He was 25.
Just found out my maternity nurse sister in law delivered him and my niece and nephew went to school with him. Small farming town he’s from on the NSW North Coast, Macksville.
[QUOTE=“Fitzy, post: 1050128, member: 236”]Fucking hell, I feel like a member of the family has died.
[/QUOTE]
Very sad news but that’s ridiculous shit Fitzy
