• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

*Official* Pakistan in England 2020

vcs

Request Your Custom Title Now!
When did this Shafiq thing start? I can't really remember there being strong feelings on him before. Might have just missed it.
He's not a player who inspires feelings of any kind TBH, he's usually just content to exist beautifully.

He just annoys me a bit for managing to go 70+ Tests with hardly a noticeable impact. :laugh: He's clearly not ****, he has a decent technique, looks compact, plays some good shots. Never amounts to anything though.
 

Niall

International Coach
When did this Shafiq thing start? I can't really remember there being strong feelings on him before. Might have just missed it.

Has a reputation of only turning up in lost causes.

He is 35 and not trusted to bat any higher than 5, he did once bat three and initially did well especially in England but got worse and worse and had to go back to 5.

At that age and with such a so-so career, their is a compelling argument for firing him out of a cannon at the end of this series.

Give the spot to some young gun who has tore it up in first class cricket over last few years and hope that over the long term he proves a better investment than Shafiq.
 

Pothas

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
He's not a player who inspires feelings of any kind TBH, he's usually just content to exist beautifully.

He just annoys me a bit for managing to go 70+ Tests with hardly a noticeable impact. :laugh: He's clearly not ****, he has a decent technique, looks compact, plays some good shots. Never amounts to anything though.
Yeah have seen that being the general consensus on him was just wondering when it started. Was it after Misbah and Younis retired? He seemed fine when they were around.
 

trundler

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Yeah have seen that being the general consensus on him was just wondering when it started. Was it after Misbah and Younis retired? He seemed fine when they were around.
He was expected to step up as the senior batsman in a frail lineup. Imagine having a discount Hooper who can't bowl as your best batsman.
 

Niall

International Coach
When did this Shafiq thing start? I can't really remember there being strong feelings on him before. Might have just missed it.

Imagine a discount version if Ian Bell, that's always been Shafiq.

Lets not forget Shafiq has spent a lot of his career playing on roads which makes his unremarkable numbers all the more grim.
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
Not what I expected and very sad to see Fawad go early but like the look of Abid Ali once again.

Just gonna state it again, we are never far away from an England lollapse.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Not what I expected and very sad to see Fawad go early but like the look of Abid Ali once again.

Just gonna state it again, we are never far away from an England lollapse.
Yeah, fair call. Wouldn't put the mortgage on this England batting line up.

Don't want to bag a young chap with promise (especially before he's even batted), but Crawley replacing Stokes is a big downgrade in terms of proven test runs.

200 and Pakistan are in the game, particularly if the cloud cover remains.
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
Yeah, not saying Pak will win or anything at this stage, juz that game can come back to balance once again if England get bundled out too. Gotta wait till both sides have batted before we pass too much judgement on one team's efforts.
 

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
Hard to disagree with Brumby and HB, and we only have to think back to Edgbaston last year to see how one world class batsman plus an adhesive tail can create a competitive score.
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
Anderson keeps coming back when written off, even though it is very much in "made for Anderson" conditions. Still mighty impressive given his age and form going into this game.
 

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
Such good bowling from England all day long. I'm honestly shocked they're not batting already.
I wasn't able to watch any of it, but I had heard that they bowled well. I suppose we're in similar territory to the previous test insofar as Pakistan are above par due to England's dropped catches. The weather forecast suggests that we'll actually get a full day's play but it will be overcast, so batting should be challenging.
 

vcs

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Rizwan and a couple of lower order bats hanging around long enough can easily push Pakistan to a competitive score, given that Azam hits lots of boundaries and scores fast without taking too many risks.
 

Top