Aus vs Pak: 3rd Test (Jan 2-6), Sydney

[Zainub]

May be you are right...whatever it takes Shaka, I'm just hoping he doesn't become another of those players who had so much talent but never lived up to it...I've seen too many Imran Nazirs already. I hope we can see him through and develope him into a proper test batsmen.

[Zainub]

Do we have any one here who lives in Sydney? I could do with a bit of a local weather forecast you know, I've just checked out a forecast at Yahoo Weather, and its made me a wee bit concerned, it predicts variable clouds with scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly in the afternoon though, although still an over all 40% chance of rain for tomorrow ( High 81F Winds North East at 5 to 10 mph) Full 5 day forecast here

[Maranello]

Teams

Pakistan

Four changes from the previous Test:
- Asim Kamal in for Imran Farhat (tactical)
- Rana Naved-ul-Hasan in for Abdul Razzak (injury)
- Shahid Afridi in for Shoaib Malik (injury)
- M Asif in for Sami (injury)

Inzi is still injured and so does not play.

Pakistan team:
Salman Butt, Yasir Hameed, Younis Khan, *Yousuf Youhana, Asim Kamal, Shahid Afridi, +Kamran Akmal, Naved-ul-Hasan, Shoaib Akhtar, Danish Kaneria, Mohammad Asif.

Australia

Two changes, Shane Watson and MacGill instead of Lehmann and Kasprowicz.

Australia team:
JL Langer, ML Hayden, *RT Ponting, DR Martyn, MJ Clarke, SR Watson, +AC Gilchrist, SK Warne, JN Gillespie, SCG MacGill, GD McGrath.

Two debuts: M. Asif (Pakistan), S Watson (Aus).


PS: Suggest this thread is renamed: Australia v Shoaib Akhtar, Third Test. Let's face it, the other ten Pakistanis are simply making up the numbers... there is only one guy out there who is really feared by the Australian team.

[Beny]

It's true! Aktar was running in and bowling at 130-140 km/h trying not to get tired.

Interesting move placing Watson in there. I imagine he only got ahead of Katich because of his bowling. McGill deserves his spot and will hopefully take some wickets.

Gillespie has two catches droped off his first over. Bowling like a freak here.

[Maranello]

Yes, two very easy catches dropped by Warne and Gilchrist off Gillespie's first over. Hameed, who is opening, is playing like an absolute pillock, not really a Test opener or a top-order batsmen, more a middle-order blaster.

Yasir Hameed has a tendency to go hard at everything, no soft hands, no foot movement, and appears clueless against the subtle lateral movement that the new ball offers, especially with artists such as Gillespie and McGrath.

A Test opener who struggles against the new ball, and movement (both off the pitch and in the air)...hmm..sounds like a fatal flaw to me!

[Beny]

At the same time though he has been keeping the preassure off by scoring runs.

[Maranello]

Originally Posted by Beny

It's true! Aktar was running in and bowling at 130-140 km/h trying not to get tired.

No Beny, he was not "trying not to get tired", no point in doing that, since the match was over. So why conserve energy?

He was bowling like that because {a} he had been overbowled in that Test, and was probably physically and emotionally drained, having carried the whole bowling attack for three days as others in that attack, one after another, fell to injuries. Three front line bowlers were out injured during the Test! The team coach has attested to that. {b} His bowling off a shortened run was after discussions with Youhana and Woolmer, because he had a hamstring niggle, according to various press reports. In general, he is loathe to cut down on his run-up, as evidenced by his "jet aircraft" comment.

Anyway, this is a pointless discussion, but IMO Ponting should learn from Hayden - the guy tried to rile Shoaib and ended up becoming his bunny!

[Beny]

I don't know... But yes, pointless.

I hope Watson bowls well. He's been very poor every time i've seen him. Personaly I think he should just concentrate more on his batting,

[Beny]

Watson's first over a bit down the leg side and too short but still got away with it. 1 run off the first over. He dosent look all that comfortable at the crease...

[Maranello]

No he doesn't; interesting that the selectors et al want him to develop into a bowling allrounder. Not sure he has the goods for that, seems more like a batsman who is a useful support bowler, no more. Early days though