Should the PCB ban Afridi?

[Zainub]

Exactly my point.

Also, although seam movement has been fairly non-evident all through out, with the new ball, there has been some swing, Rana definitely found some. And there is also some, although very limited bounce, Giles got one to turn and bounce before lunch (it was vs. Shoaib, he gloved it and Strauss dropped it at gully)...Seems to me like Rachael is just going by what she has read, of course it's a flat pitch, but it doesn't suck. And there is plenty of encouragement for the spin bowlers.

The fact that it is a slow surface with not a whole lot of bounce is also in away working in the bowler's favor, or at least in some occasions it has. Trescothic and Strauss' dismissal today for once, I could both account to lack of pace/bounce. Strauss pulled a ball that didn't quite bounce enough, and played it on to his stumps. Tresco outside edged a one which didn't quite come on to the bat as it should have.

As far as I'm concerned this is not as flat as the surface in Antigua.

[greg]

Rachael would prefer a pitch where 15 wickets fall on day 1 so she can complain about a lack of technique from the batsmen.As far as i am concerned we knew the pitches would be like this and have not been given anything different to what we expected so we should be satisfied.

[Zainub]

Originally Posted by Maranello

Indeed it was OF, more than three-quarters full on Day 1, and a very good crowd on Day 2 too. Very satisfying to see.

Very, very. The crowds have been very good all through out this series (average crowd of 10,000 per day in Multan) and as good as full yesterday, that was the first time I've seen such a big crowd for a test match here. And it's great to see. Not only was it a big crowd, it was a very well behaved crowd too. A bit partisan though, understandably.

[Occasional Fan]

Yes, I heard that somewhere as well. Ten thousand people at Multan, of whom forty or so were English. That's a bit of a shame: wish I'd been the forty-first.

[Zainub]

Multipied to about 80 odd by the time the test match finished I heard Bumble say at one point.

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Zainub

of course it's a flat pitch, but it doesn't suck. And there is plenty of encouragement for the spin bowlers [...] As far as I'm concerned this is not as flat as the surface in Antigua.

Let's not get carried away: every report I've encoutered has agreed that there was absolutely nothing in this pitch to encourage a finger spinner... and the reports have made it clear that the pitch offered more for Hoggard than it did for Giles and Udal.

The wrist spinners might get on better... but until the surface breaks down (and aside from the odd ball there's no suggestion of that) Giles will have to deliver from 18' up in the air to get some lively bounce out of the marks where the bowlers have followed through!

This morning, all the TMS crew seemed agreed that the Pakistan total was barely "par" for this track: they talked of a good total for this pitch being 650 or more. If that's not describing a flat track I don't know what is!

[Zainub]

The TMS crew are wrong. 450+ is par IMHO on this surface, especially given we had lost 3 wickets for 80 odd at one stage. It is a flat track Rachael, but why we should have prepared anything other then a flat track is beyond me. Kamran Abbasi was also on and about the pitches not being quick and bouncy enough, but for me that would be playing into England's hands. These kinds of pitches give us the best chance to win, bat first, put a big score up the board, and then try and get 20 wickets as the wicket deteriorates.

This may be a short term-ist strategy, but you can't argue against it being successful. As far as I'm concerned, I've been thoroughly entertained each of the last 7 days of this series, regardless of the pitches being flat, so I'm not going to complain. And I suppose you can complain Rach, but I can assure you that the pitch for the final test at Lahore will be not much different.

[Maranello]

Originally Posted by Zainub

This may be a short term-ist strategy

Its not - its a sensible strategy.

[Zainub]

I would agree. I think I just have to stop watching Aamer 'I suck' Sohail on Geo from now on.

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Zainub

The TMS crew are wrong. 450+ is par IMHO on this surface, especially given we had lost 3 wickets for 80 odd at one stage.

I'd agree that Pakistan did very, very well to reach 450: the first 3 did their best to make sure it didn't happen... and the way Afridi played (especially presenting Vaughan with that dolly catch when he was on something like 35)... the total could easily have been far, far lower. Given recent performances from Pakistan... I'd say 450 deserves to be noted as pretty damn good.

With that said... England didn't actually do much to get any of the top 5 wickets: Bell might have deceived the batsman slightly for his wicket... but that's as good as it gets. IN short... Pakistan should really still be batting.... and let's face it... but for two incidents that have been much talked of (Bell's catch and the Inzi dismissal) they might still be - it would be up to them, really, as nothing England have at their disposal would have shifted them.

I think that's the key thing: on this pitch, players like Hayden, Smith, Sehwag, Lara and so on tend to just go... and go... and go.. and go... making any notion of "par" very difficult: the only thing you can say with any certainty is that a top side ought to be ending it's first innings with a declaration after 2+ days not getting bowled out!