“This is not an excuse but the wind was blowing too fast and it played a huge role” : Mushtaq Ahmed

[Abdullah719]

Mushtaq Ahmed at a press conference:

“We gave enough information to the bowlers in the bowling meetings we had; Obviously Waqar has been talking to the boys about the fact that Zak’s front leg doesn't come across early on in his innings, so we to let Shaheen Shah Afridi bowl to him as his strength is to bring the ball into him so we can get him out LBW or bowled”

“But as I said, you can plan but players need to execute the plan; We gave them enough information; This is not an excuse but the wind was blowing too fast and it played a huge role; The bowlers were struggling as they could not land the ball where they wanted to; Overall, we did give the bowlers enough information on Zak Crawley and showed them the footage we had, we told them what technique he has and where we can bowl consistently to get him out”


[How much pressure on an experienced leg-spinner like Yasir when playing alongside an inexperienced bowling attack]

"When you go in with 2 young fast-bowlers, then there are 2 types of responsibilities on you; One, you have to not allow the other side to score runs and two, you have to take wickets also; As you can see Yasir bowled pretty much all day, and that too against the wind; He tried to be consistent in these conditions; From what I know, England team had specific plans to attack Yasir so that he cannot settle down"

"So there was a lot of burden on Yasir and there was pressure on him too; We told him that he is a match winner and he should look for wickets but then he also had to contain the score due to the presence of the young bowlers; So there has been an increase in pressure on Yasir in this series; In previous times, there used to be Mohammad Amir and other senior bowlers who would contain the opposition and we used to attack with Yasir, in UAE and England or wherever else Pakistan won games"

"Yasir has this burden on him but he is enjoying this challenge and today he bowled really well; I was listening to Shane Warne who was praising Yasir for his good bowling; We still believe he can get us wickets"


[Are we not putting too much burden on Naseem by playing him in 3 back to back Tests?]

"No that is not the case; He did not bowl that many overs in the 1st Test and overall he does not have that many overs under his belt"

"To learn to play Test cricket, Naseem Shah has to play Test cricket"

"The more overs he bowls under difficult conditions, the faster he will become a Test bowler; He does have the talent but this is a big learning process for him; The experience he gained from today where there wasn't much in the pitch and the wind was gusting, he will use that in the future to serve Pakistan"

"A person learns from such tough days and this is the kind of experience Waqar Younis is sharing with him; So he was sharing information in every session to tell Naseem how to bowl, where to put in more effort, how to bowl to specific batsmen; The sooner he learns, the faster Pakistan's bowling attack will become stronger"

"It will be our aim to get them out under 400 in the first session; Then we have more than 3 days to bat and even if we get to a score close to theirs then you never know what would happen in the 4th innings; We have to believe that; No one on our side has given up; Yes the day went really well for England but tomorrow we will come with a fresh mind and back the boys, and tell them that things will be better if we can get England out early; We have the new ball in hand and if Abbas or any other bowler steps up and a few wickets fall then we know that they have a long tail"

"We had taken 4 wickets early and were in the game but this partnership is hurting us a lot; But at the end of the day, we have to think that if we can get them out under 400, then we can bat well [and turn the tid]; The pitch is really flat, and we hear that winds will be gusting for next 2-3 days so even their bowlers will have problems so we still have to believe that we can win this Test match"


[What's the reason for being so positive given the match situation now]

"One thing I learnt from Imran Khan was that you must fight to the end; You must think that you can extricate yourself from any difficult situation and we have done that in the past; This is our experience and the same thing we need to share with the boys that sometimes it feels that the game has gone out of reach but only those teams reach the top that can come out of such situations, and this is how big players are made as well"


[Was Naseem Shah the right choice for such a big game in WTC?]

"Today Naseem Shah bowled 17 overs - we are using him very smartly; But the fact is that wind was gusting a lot; We used him for spells of 4 or 5 overs because he is the fastest in our pace battery and we want to use him well because we feel that he can take 3-4 wickets in a few overs"

 

[BreadPakoda]

Sometimes some players have their day and all plans go out of the window. Today was one such day. Brilliant batting by Zak.

 

[Thephenom]

If you believe this coaching set up has any plans you’ll believe anything!

 

[Slog]

The only reason we have 4 wickets is because Burns and Sibley are four, five overs players

 

[PakPremi]

Sibley actually bats for long time, and Burns alsohashad OK career so far.

 

[Shazzam]

This is a new excuse that I never herd before. Wind playing a role in how we bowled.

 

[unemployedgm]

As usual we have it all wrong.

1. The preparation to face Zak Crawley should have been done far before this series even began.
2. That strategy then needs to be put in practice during the collective and individual net sessions. Within that session the bowler and the coach shouldn't be in a vacuum. Alongside Waqar and the bowler you need Misbah and the captain. All the principles need to understand the strategy and understand how to reinforce it. Azhar is in a position to implement the strategy on the field. He's also in a position to change it on the fly. Misbah and the Coaches have 5 breaks to make in-game adjustments.
3. Apart from analyzing specific weaknesses the bowler must assess and understand different factors.
- What is a the bowlers strength?
- Which bowlers should bowl to Crawley in the first phase of his innings?
- How should they construct their overs? If a player is susceptible to a specific delivery is their no option for the bowler to bowl anything different. Is a test bowler allowed to bowl a slow ball? Is he allowed to bowl sucker ball outside off stump? Does a bowler or a captain have the option of using attacking and creative fields? What is the opportunity cost of using an attacking field and giving away a four?
- What fields should the captain have in place? Who should be fielding in those positions?
- What kinds of deliveries would cause trouble on this specific wicket?
- What is the batsman trying to do?

 

[unemployedgm]

All that said, Crawley played really well. He looks a really good player who likes to score runs.

 

[Shazzam]

As usual we have it all wrong.

1. The preparation to face Zak Crawley should have been done far before this series even began.
2. That strategy then needs to be put in practice during the collective and individual net sessions. Within that session the bowler and the coach shouldn't be in a vacuum. Alongside Waqar and the bowler you need Misbah and the captain. All the principles need to understand the strategy and understand how to reinforce it. Azhar is in a position to implement the strategy on the field. He's also in a position to change it on the fly. Misbah and the Coaches have 5 breaks to make in-game adjustments.
3. Apart from analyzing specific weaknesses the bowler must assess and understand different factors.
- What is a the bowlers strength?
- Which bowlers should bowl to Crawley in the first phase of his innings?
- How should they construct their overs? If a player is susceptible to a specific delivery is their no option for the bowler to bowl anything different. Is a test bowler allowed to bowl a slow ball? Is he allowed to bowl sucker ball outside off stump? Does a bowler or a captain have the option of using attacking and creative fields? What is the opportunity cost of using an attacking field and giving away a four?
- What fields should the captain have in place? Who should be fielding in those positions?
- What kinds of deliveries would cause trouble on this specific wicket?
- What is the batsman trying to do?

Good post. The coaching staff needs to read this.

 

[ataullah]

It was really difficult to even drive on Motorway along Southampton due to wind - he is right. I had difficulty in maintaining lane discipline. Would have never believed this excuse if not experienced the same myself.

 

[Kenpachi]

Mushtaq Ahmed at a press conference:

“We gave enough information to the bowlers in the bowling meetings we had; Obviously Waqar has been talking to the boys about the fact that Zak’s front leg doesnt come accross early on in his innings, so we to let Shaheen Shah Afridi bowl to him as his strength is to bring the ball into him so we can get him out LBW or bowled”

“But as I said, you can plan but players need to execute the plan; We gave them enough information; This is not an excuse but the wind was blowing too fast and it played a huge role; The bowlers were struggling as they could not land the ball where they wanted to; Overall, we did give the bowlers enough information on Zak Crawley and showed them the footage we had, we told them what technique he has and where we can bowl consistently to get him out”

Wow.

This is essentially Mushy saying that the bowlers can’t execute a plan, have no accuracy and couldn’t hack the conditions.

The inexperience showed at bowling and captaincy levels today.

 

[Savak]

As usual we have it all wrong.

1. The preparation to face Zak Crawley should have been done far before this series even began.
2. That strategy then needs to be put in practice during the collective and individual net sessions. Within that session the bowler and the coach shouldn't be in a vacuum. Alongside Waqar and the bowler you need Misbah and the captain. All the principles need to understand the strategy and understand how to reinforce it. Azhar is in a position to implement the strategy on the field. He's also in a position to change it on the fly. Misbah and the Coaches have 5 breaks to make in-game adjustments.
3. Apart from analyzing specific weaknesses the bowler must assess and understand different factors.
- What is a the bowlers strength?
- Which bowlers should bowl to Crawley in the first phase of his innings?
- How should they construct their overs? If a player is susceptible to a specific delivery is their no option for the bowler to bowl anything different. Is a test bowler allowed to bowl a slow ball? Is he allowed to bowl sucker ball outside off stump? Does a bowler or a captain have the option of using attacking and creative fields? What is the opportunity cost of using an attacking field and giving away a four?
- What fields should the captain have in place? Who should be fielding in those positions?
- What kinds of deliveries would cause trouble on this specific wicket?
- What is the batsman trying to do?

I would add another point, they should have picked Faheem Ashraf instead of Fawad Alam because having 4 pacers allows atleast 2 of them i.e. Shaheen and Naseem to be used in short sharp bursts so that in every spell they are fully fresh and energetic.

 

[gazza619]

You cant win test matches with 4 bowlers, unless those bowlers like top notch.

Unfortunately team management got the selection wrong again! Needed one more pacer.

 

[hitthestump]

The fact they let their plans 'slip' is a very thinly veiled way of trying to pretend that they had plans in the first place.

No doubt all the bowlers knew what Plan A was. But when that failed all 4 of them were clueless.

 

[unemployedgm]

1. There should be an analytics team back in Pakistan that is studying teams and players all over the world. This is a 365 Day 24/7 Job. There is no player that we should be unfamiliar to us.
2. There should be an analytics team that travels with the national team and provides feedback loops to the coaching staff. They should be integrated in all decision-making and strategic processes.
3. There should be an Advanced Scout whose job it is to study the opposition. That person should provide reports to the relevant people(mainly the coaches). The coaches alongside the Advanced Scout and the Analytics must transfer that information to the players.
4. Because its Pakistan and athletes in general don't do well with an overload of information, the coach must create build practices and touch points around reinforcing this information. The players operating in the NBA and the NFL aren't smarter than Cricketers. The processes by which they get their information and the way they are prepared is better. On the other hand the national team operates like a club team. "Lets go to the nets, you bat and you bowl. While you do that I will give you certain tips." That's not coaching, that's not practice, and that's not going to lead to sustained excellence.
5. We need to establish an identify as a bowling unit in all three formats. How is our team going to dominate other teams with the ball? This isn't a bowling centric operation. The bowling unit of a team, along with the fielders, and the captain(brain) represents the defensive unit of a cricket team. What is our overarching strategy to play defense in all formats against all opposition? What qualities should players possess who can execute that strategy? Who are those players? Every bowler in domestic cricket should be assessed.
6. Once you establish an identity and integrate the right players in the right system you now need to do two things. One, you need to create an environment and a system of preparation all year round for those players to be at their best. Two, always be developing. A player irrespective of his age should always be getting better. As players get older there level of development gets slower because their bodies abandon them. To overcome this you need a pipeline of talent. Pakistan has talent but no pipeline. Again its a club cricket mentality. "Pad up and go next." Sudden strategy shift. That said, as players get older they shouldn't necessarily get worse. Inzamam for example was getting better with age. He was a smarter and mentally stronger player at the end of his career than his prime. You can argue that in 2004-06 he was the peak of his powers. He was only forced to retire because of a bad world cup.
7. What should the structure of our playing XI be in all conditions against all opponents? What should the structure of the XI be? How many batsman and bowlers? Which players fit into that structure?

There are so many elements to building a team that it would take a 1,000 pages of coordinated aligned writing.

I think what we should acknowledge is that Zak Crawley is a really good player who is better than his stats indicate. A little bit like Marnus Lauschagne. If it wasn't him it could have been someone else.

 

[Yk313]

Good post. The coaching staff needs to read this.

No. They should be the ones posting this. Good post but they (the management) need to know these things like the back of their hand.

 

[Manunited18]

Shane Warne the former Hampshire captain who said at the close of play that this was one of the Windiest days hed seen at the ground, and bowling in these conditions would be a Hugh challenge

 

[unemployedgm]

I agree and disagree Savak. Faheem did nothing wrong to get dropped from Test Cricket. The question is where does Faheem fit in.

Is he good enough as a batsman to bat in the top 7? Maybe 7 but certainly not Top 6. Personally I think he's an 8 who can grow into a 7. Certainly no one has helped him develop into that.

Is he a 3rd Fast Bowler in all conditions? In bowling friendly conditions he's a workhorse, but does he have the nuance and the skill in his bowling to be a No.3. Again debatable.

I do think Faheem has been wasted. He should be further along as an All-Rounder and a key component of the player pool in all formats.

 

[MenInG]

SHANE WARNE (on Sky Sports) reflects on a difficult day for Pakistan's bowling attack:

"It wasn’t easy conditions to bowl. This was really tough for all these bowlers going into this breeze.

"It’s cold, it’s swirling – it’s not even in your face, it’s coming from different directions. When it swirls like that, it’s very hard to get your rhythm.

"Pakistan stuck at it most of the day. There was a bit in it early but once the ball went soft, which it seemed to pretty quickly, there wasn’t as much pace in the pitch as we saw in this last match.

"The way Buttler and Crawley got together, and put on 200, was good cricket to watch. They had a lot of intent, an array of shots and really flexed their muscles a bit and piled the pain on for Pakistan."

 

[Savak]

I agree and disagree Savak. Faheem did nothing wrong to get dropped from Test Cricket. The question is where does Faheem fit in.

Is he good enough as a batsman to bat in the top 7? Maybe 7 but certainly not Top 6. Personally I think he's an 8 who can grow into a 7. Certainly no one has helped him develop into that.

Is he a 3rd Fast Bowler in all conditions? In bowling friendly conditions he's a workhorse, but does he have the nuance and the skill in his bowling to be a No.3. Again debatable.

I do think Faheem has been wasted. He should be further along as an All-Rounder and a key component of the player pool in all formats.

I think he could have played in place of Fawad. He was instrumental in our last win against England in 2018. Having a fourth pacer where two of them do a workhorse, holding job makes it easier for the likes of Shaheen and Naseem to be used in short sharp bursts. The reason why England recovered from 127/4 is because the pacers were bowled to the ground and ran out of steam which England capitalized on.

 

[Kenpachi]

SHANE WARNE (on Sky Sports) reflects on a difficult day for Pakistan's bowling attack:

"It wasn’t easy conditions to bowl. This was really tough for all these bowlers going into this breeze.

"It’s cold, it’s swirling – it’s not even in your face, it’s coming from different directions. When it swirls like that, it’s very hard to get your rhythm.

"Pakistan stuck at it most of the day. There was a bit in it early but once the ball went soft, which it seemed to pretty quickly, there wasn’t as much pace in the pitch as we saw in this last match.

"The way Buttler and Crawley got together, and put on 200, was good cricket to watch. They had a lot of intent, an array of shots and really flexed their muscles a bit and piled the pain on for Pakistan."

Tough conditions or not, everyone looked lost out there...

 

[unemployedgm]

I think he could have played in place of Fawad. He was instrumental in our last win against England in 2018. Having a fourth pacer where two of them do a workhorse, holding job makes it easier for the likes of Shaheen and Naseem to be used in short sharp bursts. The reason why England recovered from 127/4 is because the pacers were bowled to the ground and ran out of steam which England capitalized on.

Fair. I think there needs to be more strategy and thought behind selecting a player.

Although I think Shaheen and Naseem have bright futures I have to say that I'm unimpressed with Shaheen in particular if the ball doesn't move. A player with his physique should have more pace but he doesn't. He also doesn't have a good bouncer.

I do think there is a strength to the idea of having someone like Faheem Ashraf who can be a workhorse. You do need that in test cricket.

 

[Bhaijaan]

It's a fact that when the wind is blowing too fast even bowlers of the level of Boult or Shami can't do anything

 

[gibsyhesperis]

It's a fact that when the wind is blowing too fast even bowlers of the level of Boult or Shami can't do anything

There were 60mph winds in Southampton today. That’s the level at which the Met Office is issuing warnings of structural damage. Really tough day before bowlers — not an excuse, but certainly an explanation.

 

[chacha kashmiri]

Having never played cricket at any kind of level I can't comment on this but it does seem like a poor excuse
If it was blowing in both directions I could say it was a decent reason but it doesnt explain to me how we got the first 4 wickets
Maybe the players should go off for bad wind

 

[Bhaijaan]

There were 60mph winds in Southampton today. That’s the level at which the Met Office is issuing warnings of structural damage. Really tough day before bowlers — not an excuse, but certainly an explanation.

Only those with a scientific mind or empathy can understand it. Sadly most posters are merely jazbaati and not many of them can be called hoshiar.

 

[Shazzam]

No. They should be the ones posting this. Good post but they (the management) need to know these things like the back of their hand.

The issue is it feels like they don’t.

 

[James]

Having never played cricket at any kind of level I can't comment on this but it does seem like a poor excuse
If it was blowing in both directions I could say it was a decent reason but it doesnt explain to me how we got the first 4 wickets
Maybe the players should go off for bad wind

I would have to agree. It’s interesting how Pak were actually in a good position when England were 130/4, and the wind clearly wasn’t a problem then — but during Crawley and Buttler’s partnership, the wind (according to Mushy) suddenly became a problem? Doesn’t add up.

 

[Shazzam]

It's a fact that when the wind is blowing too fast even bowlers of the level of Boult or Shami can't do anything

The wind did not stop us from getting 4 wickets. These are professional cricketers who get paid handsomely to perform at International level. They should be trained to play in any condition. We should not be making excuses of external factors that cannot be controlled.

 

[Shazzam]

I would have to agree. It’s interesting how Pak were actually in a good position when England were 130/4, and the wind clearly wasn’t a problem then — but during Crawley and Buttler’s partnership, the wind (according to Mushy) suddenly became a problem? Doesn’t add up.

I guarantee you had we taken all 10 wickets we would not be hearing such excuse.

 

[gibsyhesperis]

I would have to agree. It’s interesting how Pak were actually in a good position when England were 130/4, and the wind clearly wasn’t a problem then — but during Crawley and Buttler’s partnership, the wind (according to Mushy) suddenly became a problem? Doesn’t add up.

As said on commentary, it becomes progressively harder as it takes a toll the longer the day goes on. Bowlers are less fresh etc

 

[coy0607]

What's next? The sun was too bright? The outfield was too green?

 

[JaDed]

This is why I don't really enjoy test cricket in England, there is some issue or the other from weather to winds etc that change throughout the 5 days.

Aus,SA are way better.

 

[Manunited18]

This is why I don't really enjoy test cricket in England, there is some issue or the other from weather to winds etc that change throughout the 5 days.

Aus,SA are way better.

That's why it's called test cricket, skill , technique, as well as mentality

 

[JaDed]

That's why it's called test cricket, skill , technique, as well as mentality

And luck incase it's English weather.. but imagine now if it becomes overcast conditions and Anderson comes out to bowl tomorrow.. you would see Super Saiyan mode turned on just because of conditions than skill of Jimmy boy.

 

[Manunited18]

And luck incase it's English weather.. but imagine now if it becomes overcast conditions and Anderson comes out to bowl tomorrow.. you would see Super Saiyan mode turned on just because of conditions than skill of Jimmy boy.

Over the years there's been ample performances which stand out during a full seasonal weather session during a days play or the duration of a whole test

 

[Mo Dipsy]

In my 30 years of watching test cricket, there are times when you just have to hand it to the opposition. Crawley in particular was brilliant and just very solid. Nothing to be done but admire how he played.

 

[Mamoon]

Whether wind blows or not, the extent of our humiliation now depends on how much time Buttler spends at the crease tomorrow.

If he can bat for another session, he is capable of blasting our much celebrated attack back to Pakistan. He will be in ODI mode tomorrow.

 

[Mueez]

Pathetic excuse.

However Mushy has done great work with Yasir.

 

[MenInG]

In my 30 years of watching test cricket, there are times when you just have to hand it to the opposition. Crawley in particular was brilliant and just very solid. Nothing to be done but admire how he played.

Well put and sometimes we seem to demean opposition to our own detriment.

 

[Indiafan]

That's why it's called test cricket, skill , technique, as well as mentality

But it also gives undue advantage to one team. Hve seen many times in England where when one team is playing its bright sunshine ans flat pitch and then other team bats and clouds come and balls starts swinging like crazy. For a fair game, both team should play under same condition

 

[Saj]

It wasn't the first time Pakistan will have played in windy conditions.

What were the plans?
What were the tactics?

It seemed in the last session, Pakistan were clueless.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Pathetic excuse.

However Mushy has done great work with Yasir.

Yasir has looked like his old self, a self which had self worth and potential to be a great.

 

[Shazzam]

In my 30 years of watching test cricket, there are times when you just have to hand it to the opposition. Crawley in particular was brilliant and just very solid. Nothing to be done but admire how he played.

I would do that if he never played this innings to bat us out of the Test match.

 

[Mueez]

Yasir has looked like his old self, a self which had self worth and potential to be a great.

I agree. Hope he continues bowling like this!

I’m glad to see that he has worked on his bowling variety.

 

[Junaids]

I agree and disagree Savak. Faheem did nothing wrong to get dropped from Test Cricket. The question is where does Faheem fit in.

Is he good enough as a batsman to bat in the top 7? Maybe 7 but certainly not Top 6. Personally I think he's an 8 who can grow into a 7. Certainly no one has helped him develop into that.

Is he a 3rd Fast Bowler in all conditions? In bowling friendly conditions he's a workhorse, but does he have the nuance and the skill in his bowling to be a No.3. Again debatable.

I do think Faheem has been wasted. He should be further along as an All-Rounder and a key component of the player pool in all formats.

It wasn't the first time Pakistan will have played in windy conditions.

What were the plans?
What were the tactics?

It seemed in the last session, Pakistan were clueless.

@Saj
I have argued since before the series that if both Shaheen and Naseem play, it has to be in a 4 pacer attack.

This is the World Test Championship, but Pakistan’s pace attack rests with two kids and a military medium man who is probably 34 or 35 in real age.

You need a couple of guys in their peak years with experience - I’d have moved heaven and earth to ensure that Amir played, and probably Faheem too.

But this pace attack in true years was probably 35-20-19. And that’s horribly unbalanced.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

The selecting strategy has been flawed and weak ever since Misbah came. He selected the right squad of 4 frontline bowlers in allrounder in shadab and five batsman +wk. Since they lost it he quickly turned back to his old shelf of 4 bowlers and 6 batsman. He is such a weak personality to stick to his right decisions and inspire the players to perform. Similarly during his first t20 series he rightly dropped hafeez and malik but selected youngsters in shehzad and u.akmal which backfired to a whitewash.

 

[Maliq_Mudasir]

Test cricket is of 5 days. First day belonged to England, let's see what happens next. Although mediocrity of Azhar Ali on the field can't be ignored.

 

[The_Real_Deal]

Hello Mushy? Wind still the factor??

 

[Titan24]

If they expect a 17 year old and 20 year old to execute every plan with perfection than they need to lower their expectations.

 

[Manunited18]

@Saj
I have argued since before the series that if both Shaheen and Naseem play, it has to be in a 4 pacer attack.

This is the World Test Championship, but Pakistan’s pace attack rests with two kids and a military medium man who is probably 34 or 35 in real age.

You need a couple of guys in their peak years with experience - I’d have moved heaven and earth to ensure that Amir played, and probably Faheem too.

But this pace attack in true years was probably 35-20-19. And that’s horribly unbalanced.

Well the answer to that is the cupboard is pretty bare and if you regard amirs shocking decision to retire from test cricket after all them years of pcb investment then this is what's left with pakistan gping forward, plenty of patience required

 

[Manunited18]

@Saj
I have argued since before the series that if both Shaheen and Naseem play, it has to be in a 4 pacer attack.

This is the World Test Championship, but Pakistan’s pace attack rests with two kids and a military medium man who is probably 34 or 35 in real age.

You need a couple of guys in their peak years with experience - I’d have moved heaven and earth to ensure that Amir played, and probably Faheem too.

But this pace attack in true years was probably 35-20-19. And that’s horribly unbalanced.

Well the answer to that is the cupboard is pretty bare and if you regard amirs shocking decision to retire from test cricket after all them years of pcb investment then this is what's left with pakistan gping forward, plenty of patience required

 

[Titan24]

Well the answer to that is the cupboard is pretty bare and if you regard amirs shocking decision to retire from test cricket after all them years of pcb investment then this is what's left with pakistan gping forward, plenty of patience required

I have mentioned atleast 4-5 pacers in another who are good performers in in domestics, have good height and decent pace as well along with them being in their 20s. I am not saying they are suddenly gonna be world beaters but it would be much more easy for them to execute plans in SENA because of FC experience behind them.

 

[James]

No wind today..... and no wickets

 

[chacha kashmiri]

I would have to agree. It’s interesting how Pak were actually in a good position when England were 130/4, and the wind clearly wasn’t a problem then — but during Crawley and Buttler’s partnership, the wind (according to Mushy) suddenly became a problem? Doesn’t add up.

Didn't seem to be a problem today
England seemed to be more aggressive and their tactics payed off. They sledged abid and they bounced babar out of the game.
They seemed to have sussed out their opponents after watching then carefully for the last month and the preparations and captaincy have worked wonderfully

 

[Cricketrenew]

Wind oh no.... just not good enough bowling or batting.
Traditionally the bowling saved some pride but not good enough currently.

 

[Thephenom]

How about today, the wrong type of sun?!

 

[saeedhk]

I agree with him. The wind is against Pakistan. The sun too, and the rain and the clouds. Maybe someone did black magic? These guy will never take responsibility for their own lack of performance or game tactics. PCB will never improve with these bunch of idiots.