135 AO Plays 132/0 On Day 1 Of The Series!

That was truly a tremendous day all around for the visitors. The bowlers were top notch and really showed their superiority and dominance to run through the Bangladeshis in Chittagong who seemed to lack any plan or purpose at the wicket when approaching proceedings. Ajmal continues to add to his tally and Rehman is closing in on reaching 50 test victims with his left arm spinners. Yet against Misbah elected to put us in the dirt first up and yet it worked with a justified performance from the bowlers who responded and put their hand up. 6 times when Misbah won the toss he has bowled first on 5 occasions. The 4 previous results have been comprehensive victories 3 times and a commendable draw the other time.  Team Pakistan have been on the field on day 1 of a test match 12 times in their last 13 tests with only 2 losses. Taufeeq and Hafeez have statistically reached a historical milestone by appearing in 11 consecutive tests over taking the likes of Anwar and Sohail and Mudassar and Ramiz and they have been fairly consistent by Pakistani tendencies in their opening stands. This is their 3^rd century stand from memory in the last 11 tests. It’s vital both get some runs under their belt ahead of the England series because although they performed respectably and made their mark on the Sri Lankan series, majority of the contributions came from the resilient and gutsy middle order (Azhar, YK, Misbah) and they (openers) didn’t really take the world by storm, especially after the first test. Hopefully, looking ahead, we can add a further 250 odd tomorrow and only lose a maximum of 4 or maybe 5 wickets and get through a wicket less session during the process. Should be looking to bat until lunch on the 4^th day and win by an innings and plenty. A sizeable lead of 300 would be more than sufficient, but it’s important the batsmen get runs under their belt. 3 50s and 1 ton from the top 6 needed and also a 50+ score from one of the number 7-10 batsmen. Disappointing performance from the Bengalis once more, their test status is being questioned and rightly so because there is no fun in seeming teams humiliated by some hefty margins; it’s not a healthy advertisement for the sport at all. They are definitely starring down the barrel of a mammoth loss and have been totally beaten and beaten badly. They look completely demoralized and short of confidence. It's just a no contest.

Pakistan In 2011 ODIs Review

The 3-0 clean sweep against Bangladesh means that Pakistan has won more ODI encounters this year than any other year before with 24 victories and just 7 losses to go along with 1 NR during the 2^nd one day international against New Zealand in January this year. Never before had they had a more successful year of one day international in terms of the number of wins and that too at a W/L ratio of well above a 3.0.

Misbah’s side has won 6 consecutive ODI series as well as a semi final appearance at the 10^th ICC CWC. 5 of the 6 series have been away tours with the other against the WC finalists being played neutrally in the UAE which they won comprehensively.

They have won more than any other country in ODIs this year by a margin of 3.

3-2 vs New Zealand

3-2 vs West Indies

6/8 wins at the 2011 ICC CWC.

2-0 vs Ireland

3-0 vs Zimbabwe

4-1 vs Sri Lanka

3-0 vs Bangladesh.

Pakistan has won 12 of their last 13 one day internationals since Misbah became full time ODI captain as well. Misbah has won 13 out of 14 one day internationals as captain with 4 consecutive series wins and has the highest winning % by any captain in ODIs with a minimum qualification of 10 ODIs.

The greens have won 22 ODIs in a row against Bangladesh - the joint highest ever with Australia against Zimbabwe. They have a 28-1 record against Bangladesh. They can over take Australia's record against Zimbabwe on 12th March during the opening fixture of the 2012 Asia Cup in Dhaka.

Pakistan’s 3 leading run getters in One Day Internationals For 2011

Hafeez: 1075 runs at 37 (3 100s and 5 50s)

Misbah: 964 runs at 54 (9 50s)

Umar Akmal: 785 at 41 (6 50s)

Pakistan’s 3 leading catchers in One Day Internationals For 2011

Misbah: 15

Younis: 13

Umar Akmal: 13

Pakistan’s 3 leading wicket takers in One Day Internationals For 2011

Shahid Afridi: 45 wickets at 21

Saeed Ajmal: 34 wickets at 18

Mohammad Hafeez: 32 wickets at 25

MOM awards

Hafeez: 6

Shahid Afridi: 5

Umar Akmal: 4

Misbah: 2

Younis Khan: 1

Aizaz Cheema: 1

Junaid Khan: 1

Umar Gul: 1

Ahmed Shehzad: 2

MOTS Awards

vs West Indies = Mohammad Hafeez
vs Zimbabwe = Younis Khan
vs Sri Lanka = Shahid Afridi
vs Bangladesh = Umar Akmal
WC = Shahid Afridi named in team of the tournament
vs New Zealand = NA
vs Ireland = NA

Leading wicket taker by tour

vs New Zealand = Wahab Riaz
vs WC = Shahid Afridi
vs West Indies = Wahab Riaz
vs Zimbabwe = Aizaz Cheema
vs Sri Lanka = Shahid Afridi
vs Bangladesh = Mohammad Hafeez

Leading batting average by tour

vs New Zealand = Misbah
vs WC = Misbah
vs West Indies = Misbah
vs Ireland = Younis Khan
vs Zimbabwe = Mohammad Hafeez
vs Sri Lanka = Umar Akmal
vs Bangladesh = Misbah

Leading run scorer by tour

vs New Zealand = Misbah
vs WC = Misbah
vs West Indies = Mohammad Hafeez
vs Ireland = Younis Khan
vs Zimbabwe = Mohammad Hafeez
vs Sri Lanka = Umar Akmal
vs Bangladesh = Umar Akmal

* 13/17 wins batting 2nd
* 10/15 batting 1st
* Never lost having posted a total of above 180 when batting first unless the ODI was determined by D/L method
* 6 totals of above 250 when batting 1st in 14 ODIs
* The top 2 bowlers on the ICC ODI rankings are Pakistan off spinners: Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez
* Umar Akmal is the only Pakistan batsmen in the top 10 in ODIs
* Hafeez is the 5th leading run scorer in ODIs 2011 overall, Misbah is 7th, Umar Akmal is 12th and Younis Khan is 14th
* Had Umar Akmal not thrown his wicket away in the 90s during the 2nd ODI in Dubai, Pakistan would have had 13 wins in a row which is their highest in ODIs and the 3rd highest of all time after Australia and South Africa
* Shahid Afridi is the 2nd leading ODI wicket taker in 2011 with 45 scalps
* Last year Pakistan won just 5/18 ODIs. This year they have won 19 more than what they achieved last year
* 3 Pakistan spinners are in the top 6 leading ODI wicket takers of 2011
* 3 Pakistan fielders are in the top 6 leading catchers for ODIs in 2011

Below: 06/12/11

Below: 23/11/11

Below: 14/09/11

Below: 30/05/11

Below: 05/05/11

Below: 05/02/11

Pakistan Cricket Achievements Up Till Now - A Major World Cricketing Force - A Reputation To Pride On

1992 World Cup Champions

2009 ICC World T20 winners

World Number 1 on Test Rankings in 1988 - for 2 months

World Number 1 on ODI Rankings in 1990 - 1991 for 3 months

2008 Kitply Tri Series Winners

2000 Asia Cup Winners

2007 Inaugural ICC World T20 Runners Up

2006 Under 19 World Cup Winners

2004 Under 19 world Cup Winners

1999: Asian Test Championship Winners

1999: World Cup Runners Up

1988 and 2010: Under 19 World Cup Finalists

2011: SAARC U25 Winners

2011: Titans Winners (indoor event organised by Jimmy Adams)

Hong Kong Sixes 5 times winners – the joint highest with England

3rd Highest W/L ratio in the history of tests after England and Australia with over 100 test victories

One of two teams with Australia who have registered over 400 ODI victories

The highest number of T20 international wins with 31 victories in 50 encounters and the only country to reach the final 4 in each of the global editions

One of 5 nations who have been World Cup holders along with Australia (4), West Indies (2), India (2), Sri Lanka (1)

1979, 1983, 1987, 2011: World Cup Semi Finalists


2010: Women’s National Team were Asian Games Winners in China

2004 and 2009: Champions Trophy Semi Finalists

2002: Tri Series Joint Winners with Australia

2008: U15 World Cup Runners Up and Winners of the Knock Out Tournament in the West Indies


2000: Sharjah Cup Winners
2002: Sharjah Cup Winners
2003: Sharjah Cup Winners

2001: Sharjah Cup Winners

1999: Sharjah Cup Winners

1990: Sharjah Cup Winners

1991: Sharjah Cup Winners

1989: Sharjah Cup Winners

1986: Sharjah Cup Winners

1993: Sharjah Cup Winners

1994: Sharjah Cup Winners

1996: Sharjah Cup Winners

1999: Sharjah Cup Winners

Basically the KINGS of the Sharjah Cup - note that is was some times held twice a year


2000: Tri Series Winners in the West Indies



2004: BCCI Platinum Jubilee Match Winners at Eden Gardens

1996/97: Tri Series Winners in Australia

1998: Sahara Cup Winners in Canada

1996: Sahara Cup Winners in Canada

2000 Under 15 World Cup Runners Up England
1996 Under 15 World Cup Runners Up England
2002 Khaleej Times Under 15 Winners

1999: Pepsi Cup Winners

Won 12 consecutive ODIs in 2007-08 which is the 3rd longest streak


Won 7 T20s in a row in 2009 which was the longest streak at the time


Things Not Done

Been whitewashed in Australia in the last 3 test series visits and never won a test series in Australia

Never won a test series in the West Indies

Never won an ODI series against South Africa

Never won a World Cup Match Against India after 5 encounters

Have won the Asia Cup only once out of the 10 editions whereas Sri Lanka have won 4 titles and India have won 5 titles respectively

Never won the ICC Champions Trophy out of the 6 events that have been contested

Never won a test series in England since 1996

Never won a test series in South Africa

Out of the 6 teams that have been number 1 on the ICC test rankings Pakistan have been there for the smallest amount of time - 21 months less than South Africa the next overall best

Out of the 6 teams that have been number 1 on the ICC ODI rankings Pakistan have been there for the smallest amount of time - 4 months less than India the next overall best

Never won a test series against Australia since 1994

Appeared in less World Cup finals than Australia, India, Sri Lanka, England, West Indies

30 Predictions and Wants Against England In The UAE

1) Undefeated in all 3 series formats, winning 2 of them.
2) Same top 6 to be played in all 3 tests.
3) Graeme Swann to have a SR of above 100 whereas Ajmal has one below 80. Swann to have an average nearing 40 whereas Ajmal to have one below 32. Ajmal to have 5 more wickets than Swann and out bowl him in terms of average and SR as well as the overall wicket tally.
4) Win at least 5 of the 10 internationals and lose only a maximum of 3.
5) All the Pakistan batsmen from 3-5 to have an average in excess 45 from Pakistan during the course of the test series.
6) Azhar Ali to face 750 deliveries in the 3 match test series and set the benchmark, preferably even spend more deliveries at the crease than Trott.
7) Misbah to face 450 deliveries in the 3 match test series in the 1st innings alone.
8) 3 centuries from Pakistan’s batsmen.
9) Azhar Ali averaging higher than Trott.
10) Misbah averaging higher than Strauss and taking more catches than Strauss.
11) Having at least 4 Pakistan batsmen averaging in the best 7 from the 3 match test series.
12) A Pakistani batsman to play a 300 ball innings.
13) Hafeez going at under 3 and taking 4 wickets during the test series.
14) Rehman going at under 3 and taking 9 in the tests.
15) Leading overall tour wicket taker to be a Pakistani.
16) 3 Pakistanis in the top 5 test series leading wicket takers.
17) Gul and Ajmal to have at least 25 wickets combined in the test series at an average of under 33 and an economy of well below 3.
18) To post at least 330 in all first innings and ensure the innings duration lasts longer than 130 over mark and even take that to above 155 and overall total of above 450 once in the test series.
19) 2 50s from the Pakistan openers as a bare minimum individually in the series combined and post above 50 for the 1st wicket the same amount of times as a minimum expectation.
20) Misbah to score 4 50s and a valuable 35+ including an unbeaten one in the 10 internationals and average higher than Cook as well in the one day internationals. Not allowing Cook to pass more than 50 twice in the 4 ODIs whereas Misbah gets at least one if not two. Overall Misbah should be targeting above 500 runs aggregate in this tour in all 3 formats combined at an average in the 40s or higher.
21) Avoid any controversies on Pakistan’s side.
22) Only lose 1 wicket or less per session on 8 occasions which will be a sign of the batting continuing to click and the team’s hopes to be on track.
23) Younis and Misbah to pile on over 100 for the 4th wicket if and when they get together in the tests or if not for the 3rd wicket in ODIs.
24) Highest tour runs scorer and catcher to also be a Pakistani in all 3 formats combined.
25) To bat more overs than England during the first innings in at least 2 tests and also win the first innings as a result 2 times. Overall to bat for at least 35-40 overs more than England in the first innings and show a level of endurance and resilient batting durability.
26) Winning an ODI by 60 runs or 6 wickets. A really comprehensive show along the way.
27) 2 Pakistani MOMs in the test series and the MOTS to also be a Pakistani.
28) Ensure we do not go 1-0 down in either test or ODI or even T20s and overcome series LOI decider choking tag should the series go down to the wire which surely will happen in either the T20s or ODIs with it being a 4 match and 3 match series respectively.
29) A half century and a 40+ from numbers 7-11 in the test series. Lower order needs to show some depth and all roundedness.
30) A Pakistan bowler to take double figured ODI series wickets and really dominates proceedings and show why they are ranked so highly. Hafeez and Ajmal to take 12 between them in the 4 ODIs or more at an economy of under 4.5 and average of below 25.
31) Most productive tour partnerships to be Pakistanis in the test series. 3 in the top 5 aggregate if not better. Pakistan to continue their success in knitting together long, reliable, frustrating, composed and tiring partnerships even if the tempo is circumspect and old fashioned if you like during the process.
32) Ajmal to take at least 15 wickets in the 3 tests.
33) Overall the batsmen from 3-6 battling it out for overall 2100 deliveries combined or more in the test series and all spending valuable time in the middle.
34) Remove the last 4 for a maximum of 120 or under consistently during the test series.
35) 3 batsmen from Pakistan to score over 300 in the test series and all batsmen to score at least 150 in the test series. To have 13 scores of 50 or above from Pakistan's batsmen.

Top Performers Prediction

PAKISTAN

Youngsters in Tests

Azhar + Junaid

Experienced names in Tests

Younis + Ajmal

Overall Key Batsmen: Younis Khan
Overall Key Bowler: Saeed Ajmal
Overall Key Fielder: Azhar Ali

MOTS: Azhar, Younis, Misbah, Ajmal

ENGLAND

Youngsters in Tests

Cook and Bresnan (now Broad)

Experienced names in Tests
Trott and Swann

Overall Key Batsmen: Trott
Overall Key Bowler: Swann
Overall Key Fielder: Cook

MOTS: Trott, Bell, Swann, Prior

PAKISTAN

Youngsters in ODIs

Umar Akmal + 2nd opener depending on who is selected + Wahab Riaz

Experienced names in ODIs

Misbah + Hafeez + Gul

Overall Key Batsmen: Misbah ul Haq
Overall Key All Rounder: Mohammad Hafeez
Overall Key Bowler: Wahab Riaz
Overall Key Fielder: Younis Khan

MOTS: Mohammad Hafeez

ENGLAND

Youngsters in ODIs

Kieswetter and Finn

Experienced names in ODIs

Trott and KP

Overall Key Batsmen: KP
Overall Key Bowler: Swann
Overall Key All Rounder: Patel
Overall Key Fielder:

MOTS: KP

PAKISTAN

Youngsters in T20s

2nd opener + Aizaz Cheema

Experienced names in T20s

Misbah and Afridi

Overall Key Batsmen: The 2nd opener depending on who is selected
Overall Key All Rounder: Mohammad Hafeez
Overall Key Bowler: Saeed Ajmal
Overall Key Fielder: Misbah ul Haq

MOTS: Misbah-ul-Haq/Abdul Razzaq if utilised properly and fit

ENGLAND

Youngsters

Bairstow and Dernbach

Experienced Names

Morgan and Swann

Overall key Batter: Morgan
Overall Key All Rounder: Bopara
Overall Key Bowler: Jade Dernbach


MOTS: Morgan

Most catches: Younis and Misbah

Most runs: Misbah

Most wickets: Ajmal

Pakistan’s 5 most valuable players
Misbah
Ajmal
Hafeez
Younis
Gul

England’s 5 most valuable players
Cook
Trott
Swann
Anderson
KP

Outsiders who will shine:

Azhar Ali
Steven Finn

Players who MAY struggle
Cook
Morgan
Broad
Anderson
Taufeeq
Umar Akmal
Rehman
Swann

Key Mouth Watering Battles

Strauss vs Misbah

Both leaders are very diplomatic, educated and experienced. They are two of the most well polished individuals in the sport with their off field achievements to complement their on - field sublime consistency and cherishing track records. These qualities will surely be useful in rejuvenating the relations between the two countries as both leaders present a thorough professional account of their side in their mannerisms, level headed quotes and ability to speak professionally with the press. Negative headlines and poor sportsmanship does not serve any healthy purpose to promote sport and both surely will be doing their level best to ensure things do not go out of bounds.

Both captains are tactically and strategically well known for their credentials amongst their team members and both like to lead from the front and set the example. Both of them have top notch slip fielding capabilities. Both of them know how to gel and extract the best out of their teams. Both of them have test averages in the 40s and are willing workers at the crease. Both of them are in their mid to late 30s. Both have a set and well tried workable strategy they employ at the toss if they end up calling correctly. Both have that element of sedateness and classicalness in their batting approaches. Both are controversy free characters. Both are generally rated highly by pundits. Whoever performs better could turn out to be a decisive factor in the final outcome.

I think Strauss is susceptible to spin bowling on the slow and low wickets in the UAE whereas Misbah knows the conditions better than most which will give him somewhat of an advantage to capitalise on. Moreover, some of the Pakistan bowlers have seen Strauss before whereas Misbah hasn’t played a test against England before. Strauss last played an international in August whereas Misbah has been playing all 3 formats regularly. Misbah has the height and physic to counter the tall English seamers and is pretty sound and steady against all types of spin bowling so will negotiate with Swann who will be far less threatening than his dominance in 2010 where he averaged just 12 per wicket. Strauss prefers pace on the ball and spin will be an integral part of deciding this series so the Middlesex opener will need to adapt. There might even be a temptation to give the new cherry to the Professor first up with Strauss and Cook both being left handers. Misbah will know the importance of removing Strauss early and will be doing his level best to give him some headaches in the field when he walks out to bat with his solid temperament, measured approach and firm resistance. One can expect him to outshine his counterpart.

Swann vs Ajmal

The ultimate battle of the series. Saeed Ajmal is the number 1 bowler in ODIs and number 2 in T20 internationals whereas in tests he was the leading wicket taker last year with 50 scalps which no one else had achieved in just 8 tests. Swann on the other hand was considered as the number 1 spinner in the world pre 2011 and in the early stages of 2011 and even still nowadays by many. Swann was phenomenal against Pakistan when they toured in 2010 with his sharp spinning off breaks and nagging guile, albeit against a weakened Pakistan batting line up. He is more of a conventional off spinner who will plug away with dip, drift and focus on maintaining a strong line and length, enabling him to attack both sides of the bat. Against left handed batsmen, Swann is a clever operator bringing the slip and LBW into the equation with straighter ones, non turners and ones which fizz past the outside edge. However, Pakistan only has 1 left hander in their top 7. Saeed Ajmal is more threatening and possesses greater variety with his ability to bowl both sides of the wicket and turn the balls both ways sharply as well as getting his deliveries to skid and zip off the surface, varying his trajectory and bowling at a variable pace in the air. The batsmen always tend to be searching against him and Saeed has played enough at the highest level now that he can figure out batsmen himself and really understand his strengths properly. I expect the solid, dependable, technically well equipped and disciplined Pakistan batting line up to play Swann better whereas the England top order might have more trouble picking up on Ajmal’s wide range of deliveries whereas for the tail they wouldn’t stand much of a chance unless Ajmal is bowling poorly and if recent form is anything to go by, he certainly shouldn’t. Ajmal will be pumped up to show his uniqueness and one expects him to do better, especially considering the greatest player of spin between the two teams is from the hosts, Younis Khan.

Trott vs Azhar Ali

This will be a key battle between these two resilient, determined, steady, spirited, mentally strong and workman alike gritty crease occupiers who can scrap, graft and value their presence in the middle with their disciplined approach and exemplary defensive game plans to provide the balance, variation and stability in posting totals and battling through sessions with character, heart and a clear sense of plan. They can tire, frustrate, grind, apply, accumulate and gradually work over the opposition step by step with unflappable concentration, tight line of defence, patience to absorb the pressure and tough it out and also the stamina and self trust to last the duration. Who will be tougher and more irritating to dismantle and dislodge? Both will be looking to outperform each other and provide more trouble than the other to the opposing bowlers. From Pakistan’s point of view, they will be hoping Azhar can show the same levels of gutsiness, application and grittiness to get stuck in or dig in deep and long through long partnerships, wicket less sessions and regular 250-300 minute innings and beyond. Azhar should be targeting to perform to same level if not better than Trott, at least through a 'psychologically imposing angle' with at least 3 fighting half centuries during the course of the tour. His record in the UAE is quite remarkable with 5 half centuries and 1 century in 5 tests. Azhar has only been dismissed once for less than 50 in the luxurious set ups of the Middle East Dessert. Both have played 4 tests against each other and have been performing admirably at the all important one down position since debuting in 2009 and 2010 respectively. I back Azhar to notch up the scores and average above 40 in the series and potentially even do better than his opposing number. Misbah’s men can take plenty of confidence from Azhar’s emergence as the new “Wall” of world cricket, that can really provide the responsibility and dependability which is required at this level on a regular basis with such a chanceless and sturdy style of operation. His approach provides the direction, calmness, structure and re-assurance when taking things into perspective and Strauss could argue the same with Warwickshire batsmen. Ali will compete well with Trott.

KP vs Rehman

KPs struggle against slow left arm orthodox bowlers speak for themselves and has been well documented and picked up on by many columnists and pundits. Rehman is likely to get the nod in the starting line up and surely he can be a threat for the mighty flamboyant aggressor. Either way there will be drama when the two go head to head with KP looking to take him apart. Rehman must ensure he holds his nerve and keeps it simple. He should be studying footage of how other left arm spinners have troubled KP in the past and take that into consideration. Rehman was the joint quickest Pakistan spinner to the milestone of 50 test wickets.

Anderson vs Gul

Anderson was accused of ball tampering by Gul last year so there will be some fierce competition between the two when they go head to head. Both are the senior pacers who will be looking to make a statement on those docile tracks. One can expect plenty of sledging and chin music when one is facing up to the other. Anderson will need to concentrate on penetration and pace as there will not be much sideways movement or swing available whereas Gul will be trying to shape the ball across the English left handed openers with the odd one fuller in length and darting back into those pads as the surprise change up. Gul should be focussing on giving the two a stern test of their patience. Gul will inevitably take the new cherry and will need to ensure he doesn’t provide too much width to Strauss or stray on those legs of either opener where they are very strong. Anderson will fancy getting Taufeeq and Hafeez early by getting it to deviate a fraction in those nagging channels.

Swann vs Younis

YK is a master class at encountering spin and was on an exile from national representation when the hosts toured in 2010 and played Swann woefully as the Nottinghamshire finger spinner averaged a phenomenal 12. Swann would not know what has struck him when he faces up to YK who is so tight at prodding with the full face in front of the front pad when he plants his first stride down and sweeps productively, drives smoothly and nudges around the corener tidily. YK covers the angle and spin, operates with soft hands and dabs the ball on to the turf with a firm sense of authority. If Swann gets him early, the off spinner has seen the back of prolific batsmen of spin bowling. It’s a first class education seeing YK negotiating with the spinners in the manner and ease in which he does. YK will know Swann personally from his Nottinghamshire days in 2005 so there is a possibility that they have faced up to each other in the nets in the past although that all counts for nothing in a match context.

Bell vs Shafiq

Both are technically well equipped. Both are short in stature. Both field as bat pads. Both rely on timing and elegance as opposed to explosiveness. Both bat at number 6 in the lower middle order. Both generally play spin pretty efficiently. There are some key similarities between the two although Bell is far more experienced. Can Shafiq compete and match him? England would not have seen much of the Karachi batsmen before and therefore he could be difficult to figure out first up. The pundits in the sky studio picked up on his deficiencies against short pitched bowling where he looked all at sea and therefore the tall visiting pacers might be testing him out by getting him to smell the leather. Shafiq will need to look to survive against the 2^nd new ball as this is a likely time when he will be out in the middle and will need to be addressing the shorter stuff by dropping his hands and swaying out the line. There may well be times where he will be asked to shoulder the responsibility batting with the tail.

Cook and Trott vs Taufeeq and Azhar Ali

Bothhave been highly effective 2^nd wicket stands for their respectivecountries. Both have a left hand right hand combination. All players involvedaverage in excess of 40 at test match level. Both partnerships have beenextremely reliable for their countries. Both rely on perseverance, resistance,controlled stroke play, mental toughness and grit to get through and look toset up the foundations for a sizeable total. Both enjoy batting with each other for both sides and have a sound understanding of each other. Both are bound to perform, but who will edgeout the other? It will be an intriguing contest seeing the pairs battling it out in the middle against some fine bowling line ups. It’s a close call.

Trott vs Wahab

After the throat grabbing incident on Monday 20^thSeptember at Lords which delayed the toss for the 4^th one dayinternational this was one exciting head to head we all looked forward to, butWahab has been excluded for non cricketing terms is has been understood and itis expected he will continued to be ignored for the forthcoming series, but incase he does make the squad this will be one to keep a close eye on.

Cook vs Junaid

Junaid tends to land his deliveries in the corridor of uncertainty as he probes away trying to get the Essex man pushing forward. The disgraced teenage sensation troubled him in the summer of 2010 with this line of attack and while that disgraced teenage sensation may be in prison now serving his 6 month sentence, this may not be the end of the miseries for Cook because the hosts as ever produce talented fast bowlers who fall like leaves and Junaid is no exception. Cook may be relieved with Amir’s absence; however that’s not to say he will not get through uneasy as Junaid has the potential and firepower to knock him over early in the piece with his whippy action, whole heartedness and splendid control of his line and direction. Surely Cook will be challenged.

Swann vs Taufeeq

This is more of a mini battle. Taufeeq is vulnerable against the slower bowlers. Swann will be licking his lips and will be all over him like a hot knife through butter unless Taufeeq finds a away of hanging in there, getting to the non strikers end and getting the bat down in front of the front pad. Swann is bound to have Taufeeq’s number.

England left handers vs Hafeez

Hafeez has a remarkable track record against left handed batsmen. The ‘Professor’ as he is known in the dressing room and amongst his fans as well because he likes to share his thoughts openly, is a cunning operator and has made many left handers his bunny, namely Devon Smith and Tamim Iqbal. This time he will be up against batsmen with greater pedigree, but even then he has actually troubled batsmen with his own guile and variations in all forms of the sport so we cannot rule him out. England have several left handers in their batting order and Hafeez can work them out if he is thrown the ball by Misbah-ul-Haq. One skids ongoing straighter, one drifts in from wider of the crease with a fair deal of revs, one turns and bounces after pitching. You can regard him as an all rounder. His bowling is mighty effective and consistent with those nagging trajectories, undisputable control, regular economical figures and subtle varieties. He has even opened in test matches and with 2 left handed Poms padding up first, there may be a temptation to give him the new cherry.

Mushtaq Ahmed's Presence In The English Camp

The former Pakistan leg spinner who has was integral member of Pakistan’s victorious World Cup campaign in 1992 with his mixture of leg breaks and googlies has been a regular member of the English coaching staff over the years where they have reached record breaking highs. England will be looking for his advice and services more than ever against Pakistan. Mushy, the Sussex living legend, will undoubtedly be an influential figure. He has already voiced his excitement for the series and was relishing the battle between the spinners. It should be interesting to see if Panesar has worked on his bowling if England do decide that 2 specialist spinners is the formula to go by.

England Will Be Put Through A Tough Pakistan Test

Setting The Scene

England are the currently number 1 ranked test side and during the summer when Strauss’s troops were annihilating the Indians in a whitewashed affair, many pundits were going as far as saying this was the greatest English outfit of all time. The Poms have won all of their last 6 test series whereas Pakistan have been undefeated for a streak of 6 series in a row ever since the ill fated tour and largely forgettable tour of England in the summer of 2010 under the leadership now of a 37 year old stable statesman who has performed admirably and led by example to transform the respect, fortunes and confidence of the unit in challenging circumstances after the listless problems which had emerged. In between the period of time that the two sides last locked horns, the tourists have contested in 12 tests with 8 victories and only 1 defeat, including 3 comprehensive series victories whereas fairly similarly the hosts have won 6 with only 1 narrow defeat in 12 contested, including 4 series wins and 2 drawn series against the odds. Therefore there is little doubt that both teams are on a rise and on a mission and in form with settled outfits which sets up the picture positively for an intriguing battle to commence 2012 in what could turn out to be a feisty and heated battle considering the troublesome history associated with the 2 outfits when they have toured each other’s territories in the recent past. One can expect plenty of drama in this forthcoming 3 test affair with the first and last one being held in the luxurious structure of Dubai with the one in between heading to Abu Dhabi. This sure is the most high profile test series UAE has hosted.

Prediction

The series score line is most likely to read 1 something. 3-0, 2-1, 2-0 are highly unlikely on the placid tracks and it will be virtually close to impossible to go through the series without the occurrence of a draw and a dull one at that too. We can expect a closely fought series which will be an intriguing battle. The chances on a drawn series are reasonably high, but both sides have the possibility of sneaking in a 1-0 success, probably more so England. The Pakistan batting line up has now transformed into a steady and reliable one who can regularly go through the processes and maintain a sense of determination and character even against the best in the business of Morkel and Steyn. Therefore if the bowlers perform and give the Englishmen some trouble it could turn out to be a series win for the hosts. Their bowlers vs the visiting batsmen will probably be where the series will be decided, but the fielding must support the bowlers. Pakistan will be relying mainly on spin when it comes to the bowling in the form of Ajmal, Rehman and Hafeez.

Proportional Verdict

32%= 1-0 England

28%= 1-0 Pakistan

20%= 1-1 DRAW

20%= 0-0 DRAW

Last 5 test series between the two all in the 21st Century

3-1 (4) 2010 to England at home

3-0 (4) 2006 to England at home

2-0 (3) 2005 to Pakistan at home

1-1 (2) 2001 in England

1-0 (3) 2000 to England away

England's Test Record Against Pakistan Away From Home

Played 24: Won 2 Lost 4 Drawn 18

England's Test Record Against Pakistan At Home

Played 47: Won 20 Lost 9 Drawn 18

Never have they played on neutral territory before.

Stats

Misbah has never played a test or ODI against England, but has played against them at the “A” team level.

Misbah would have captained in 15 tests in a row by the end of the series. This is a record only bettered by Waqar, Miandad, Inzamam and Imran Khan.

Misbah has the highest W/L ratio by a Pakistan test captain of all time with 6.0 standing and if we merge formats he has a 12.0 standing with only 2 defeats in 31 internationals. This reference clearly reflects how well the team are performing under his leadership and how successful they have been since he has taken over with 12 series wins in 14 without any series loss.

Pakistan has been undefeated for 7 tests in a row whereas England has been undefeated for 9 tests in a row. If Pakistan goes undefeated in this series, they have gone the 2^nd most test series without a series loss streak in their country’s history after the 1980s era.

Strauss needs 5 more wins to equal Michael Vaughan’s record for the most test victories as England captain. In tests as captain against Pakistan he has only lost 1 in 8 and 2 series victories in 2006 and 2010. The left handed opener has been preparing in India ahead of this tour

Strauss has led England in 10 test series with only 1 defeat against the West Indies in 2009 away in his first series as full time captain.

Both these two test playing nations had the joint highest number of test victories in 2011 with 6, however Pakistan played 2 more and had 1 defeat. Nevertheless England played 7 of their 8 on home soil.

Cook and Trott in the England top 3 were ICC test player of the year and ICC player of the year and will be playing their first test after achieving this tag in September.

Both these teams had 5 in the top 10 run getters in tests for 2011.

Both these teams had 5 in the top 10 wicket takers for tests in 2011.

In the last 5 times Pakistan have played in the UAE, there have been 4 draws.

Overall record: 22-13 to England having played 71.

Misbah's Record As Test Captain: Played 12 Won 6 Lost 1 Drawn 5

Strauss's Record As Test Captain: Played 39 Won 21 Lost 5 Drawn 13

Pakistan have 5 new faces in the top 6 from the starting 11 which faced England away at the summer of 2010 with Azhar Ali being the only player who has managed to retain his spot with his consistency and sturdy approach. Azhar has faced more deliveries than any other Pakistan test batsmen in the last two years. Since England tour 2010, Pakistan have only had 7 different batsmen in the top 6 over a period of 12 tests or 6 series which ever way you look at it.

In Younis and Misbah, Pakistan have 2 of their 5 highest Pakistan batsmen all time currently in their team with their averages which are in the top 5 of all time from Pakistan along with Miandad, Yousuf and Inzamam.

In both series which have been contested in the UAE under the captaincy of Misbah - ul - Haq the batsmen who has topped the averages or come 2nd with the willow is Azhar Ali.

England was awarded the BBC team of the year at the annual 2011 sports personality of the year ceremony on 22^nd of December.

Azhar Ali made the highest score by a Pakistan batsman on their tour of England in 2010 with an unbeaten 92 in a match winning cause at the Oval. Azhar is the only Pakistan batsmen who has faced over 3000 deliveries since January 2010 and is Pakistan's highest run getter in that period of time.

England have had 6 innings victories against major test forces in the last 14 months.

Pakistan’s average first innings total in the 12 tests that Misbah has captained is 387. Previously in the 16 tests before the Faisalabad senior batsmen took over the reins the team’s average first innings total wasjust 264 including an anomaly of 765 at Karachi which was the only score ofabove 350 in those 16 test matches from 2009 onwards.

Under Misbah:
340 posted or more 11 times
Only been bowled out under 300 4 times
4 times chased down a total with 7 or more wickets in hand
4 times successfully drawn the match with 5 or more wickets in hand
declared the innings 3 times
won by an innings once

Most Runs Against England from Pakistan's side : Inzamam
Most Wickets Against England from Pakistan's side: Qadir
Most Runs against Pakistan from England's side: Gower
Most Wickets Against Pakistan From England's side: Botham
Most Catches Taken In Tests Between The Two: Miandad

How the series will be decided and unfold?

Both the line ups have in form and settled batting line ups. For Pakistan the emphasis with the bat will be on defence, survival, churning away, discipline, building partnerships, digging in deep, getting stuck in and taking the innings duration in to the 130 over mark and beyond as almost a bare minimum. Whilst they may not necessarily look to dictate terms and take the game from the scruff off the neck, they can be banked on to deliver the goods and bat Pakistan out of trouble. England’s batting line up is full of capable run getters with a watchful and resilient top 3 who like to absorb the pressure and overcome the initials bursts thrown at them with a sense of authority, a dynamic dominator in KP who will not hold back if he has the license to unleash his array of strokes, Morgan who can be innovative, but has technical flaws and is somewhat of a nervous starter, Bell who averaged over the 100 mark in 2011 with his delicate touches and compactness and Prior who can score freely and attack with power and intensity coming in at 7, someone who is labelled as the best wicket keeper batsmen going and if that was not enough a tail who can wag and smash it around like no tomorrow. I don’t see the considerably improved and reformed Pakistan batting line up disappointing or faltering especially in the UAE tracks and therefore feel the series will be determined as often is the case with Pakistan, by the bowling against the opposition touring batsmen. Pakistan’s best hope will be to either catch England below par as if they have got carried away after reaching the pinnacle or simply outclass them with their varieties and nagging control. England on the other hand, will belooking to pile up the runs and put the Pakistanis under the pressure. Misbah has had a preference to insert the opposition into bat with him winning the toss on 7 occasions and deciding to bowl first 6 times with 5 comprehensive victories and one commendable draw, he tries to bat only once or briefly 4^th if and when necessary and it has been an effective strategy adopted by the strategically astute leader. Strauss will not hold back on getting the pads on and making first use of the docile tracks should he call correctly. We could see Pakistan in the field first in all 3 tests, it’s a possibility alright.

The Different Aspects - Who has the upper hand

Openers: England (Pakistan have improved nevertheless)
Middle Order: Pakistan
Late Middle Order: England
Tail: England

New Ball Bowlers: England
Old Ball Bowlers: Pakistan
Spinner(s): Pakistan

Team composition: Pakistan as Hafeez provides an additional quality bowling option

Pitch and conditions: Pakistan (no brainer)

Preparation: Pakistan

Captaincy: Equal - experienced, diplomatic , stable and statistically successful, but more will be expected from Strauss

Team bonding: Equal - harmony, unity and direction

Coach: England

Fielding: England

Statistics: Pakistan considering Pakistan's record against them in Asian conditions

May The Best Team Win

Ball tampering accusations, pitch dancing pirouettes, captain– umpire direct finger pointing along with loud mouthy exchanges, Oval gate, spot fixing revelations, pre-match throat grabbing, unacceptable chairmanship with baseless claims – it surely will be a minor triumph for the sport in itself to see this series go through without catching the wrong the side of the headlines. Both captains, in Strauss and Misbah are no nonsense, educated, diplomatic, fully serious,thoroughly professional, trouble free and respectable personalities so will definitely do their utmost best to ensure things do not go out of bounds and the cricket can do the talking and nothing else.

Where The Result Will Happen?

We are most likely to get a result in Dubai, particularly in the 1st test as Pakistan managed to beat the Sri Lankans here in the latter half of October inside 4 days and even the year before against South Africa the test match was alive going into day 5 unlike in Abu Dhabi where just 27 wickets fell in both the test matches held at the ground. The team that may go on to down the other will always have the upper hand and it will be difficult for the trailing side to get back in the series unless they perform inspirationally or the winners of the 1st test begin to take the foot off the gass. Therefore if there will be a result, it will happen in Duabi and probably in the 1st of the 3 tests.

Starting Line Up

For the visitors they are unlikely to go in with 5 front line bowlers and seemed to be satisfied with their 4 man attack. For the hosts, the top 5 pick for themselves and the continuity and stability in selection over the last 14 months has been one of their major contributors towards their resurgence as a test unit. The dilemma starts at 6 with many fans and commentators pushing for the inclusion of the highly exciting and attractive Umar Akmal from more of a tactical perspective as the line up has been accused of being a tad one dimensional and there is too much “sameness” if you like, however Asad Shafiq who recently made his maiden test century in Chittagong has been performing better and therefore merits a place in the side even though he is more of a conventional middle order batsmen. Shafiq has every right to be retained as far as I’m concerned which will most likely be the reality. Pakistan will be happy to negotiate and accept security and rightly so with them being the underdogs and therefore the ability to hang in there for longer innings will be crucial where Shafiq has the upper hand. In regards to the bowling attack, it should be interesting if Misbah and Mohsin decide to continue with their effective theme of 2 specialist spinners which I feel they should do as they complement each other well. Gul will inevitably make the final 11 as the spearhead of the attack. The 2nd seamer is debateable with 3 candidates fighting for the spot in the form of Cheema, Junaid and Wahab, but a left arm angle will provide that cutting edge with all those left hander England possess. Junaid surprised one and all against the Lankans, however he is just returning from injury and it may be a risk too far to send him in the deep water immediately. Wahab has got the necessary clearance and claimed a match winning 5 for on his debut at the Oval against England in August 2010. However, this will lead to another problem potentially because both are the same type, hit the deck hard at the start and reverse as the ball fades, both can be inconsistent. Neither are really out and out conventional swing bowlers with the new ball. In closing, Cheema has emerged promisingly as a genuine wicket taker and worthy Trier, but his effectiveness may be limited and it may turn out to be one-way traffic for England’s left handers with Gul also sending them across the left handers. Misbah and Mohsin should take the added variety into account which I’m sure they will do and make the bold changes as the series progresses if the initial bowling attack does not live up to its hope. It may be pointless alluding to this bit, but there are some out there who want it, Pakistan needn’t worry about a 5th bowling option, Adnan’s batting is decent, but not exceptional and they already have Hafeez who can turn his arm over for several overs in a day as the extra bowler. Additionally, the depth in batting is provided by Wahab and when contrasting with the strong England lower order, the situation may not look too promising for the hosts, with both Wahab and Rehman in the first choice 11 it may even up the balance.

My Line Up

Mohammad Hafeez

Taufeeq Umar

Azhar Ali

Younis Khan

Misbah ul Haq (C)

Asad Shafiq

Adnan Akmal (WK)

Abdur Rehman

Wahab Riaz or Junaid

Umar Gul

Saeed Ajmal

Predictions Of Other KP Writers

Imy: 1-0 ( either way BUT heart says Pakistan)

Tabrez Ali: 0-0

Danish Nawab: 0-0

Maaz: 1-1

Zain: 1 -1

Babar: 1-0 Pakistan