Fortress UAE: Welcome to Pakistan's home!

[Romali_rotti]

It was like Misbah's fortress more than Pakistans. Just isn't working for Sarfaraz anymore.

Correct, at the time Miggy made this thread, it was a totally different team. This Pakistani team has a bit of talent but very unorganised and messy.

 

[Mamoon]

This fortress has always been a sand castle. Even before the Sri Lanka series last year, we had lost too many matches for it be a fortress.

Real fortress for example is India. Since 2013, they have lost only one match. That is what you call a fortress, not a venue where you drop a Test pretty much every series.

 

[Suleiman]

Never had a home since 2009. We’ve been on the run with our caravan, a bunch of traveler gypsies going into others dens and beating them in their own turf [MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION]

 

[shaz619]

Never had a home since 2009. We’ve been on the run with our caravan, a bunch of traveler gypsies going into others dens and beating them in their own turf [MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION]

This is what happens when we lose our very own Gypsy King

 

[Bangladesh_Fan]

Never had a home since 2009. We’ve been on the run with our caravan, a bunch of traveler gypsies going into others dens and beating them in their own turf [MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION]

The players have been playing at the same venues in UAE for a decade now though , they should be familiar with the conditions. And I think Pakistan decides what type of pitch to play on in UAE so it does provide some ground advantage.

 

[MMHS]

The players have been playing at the same venues in UAE for a decade now though , they should be familiar with the conditions. And I think Pakistan decides what type of pitch to play on in UAE so it does provide some ground advantage.

Can't - both for logistical & intellectual capacity. Logistical part is understandable - it's difficult in desert and PCB doesn't own grounds there. Intellectual capacity issue is a bit difficult to swallow for such an arrogant board - after 67 years of Test cricket and an inherited cricket legacy from British IND, I have to say PCB and it's farmers need to learn lot from BCB groundsmen about preparing wickets for home team. Last I can say is in 12 days time BCB groundsmen made same track for ODI & Test - one produced (would have) 300+ runs every time, and other produced 40 wickets for spinners in 7 days work.

 

[Big Mac]

This is what happens when we lose our very own Gypsy King

It's OK, there was a sizable number of PPers who spent years screaming from the rooftops that they would rather we lost aggressively than won defensively so they're probably all very happy.

Just don't show them the run rates or it might break their tiny little brains.

 

[MenInG]

It's OK, there was a sizable number of PPers who spent years screaming from the rooftops that they would rather we lost aggressively than won defensively so they're probably all very happy.

Just don't show them the run rates or it might break their tiny little brains.

Think those guys are now in hiding or seeking therapy.

 

[Cuts_and_cuts_hard]

It's not even just luck. The record isn't even that impressive. We were 'unbeaten' yes, but we hardly won any seris at all. Drew vs NZ, SA, SL, now lost to SL, and barely beat WI. Only Aus and Eng we beat somewhat convincingly. It was far from a dominant record. What's the use if we can't even win series at home?

Compare that to India and Aus who are completely dominant at home and beat everyone. Barring 1 series defeat, they have won EVERY SINGLE SERIES at home in last 5 years.

I have been saying it for ages. This was never a fortress.

 

[shaz619]

It's OK, there was a sizable number of PPers who spent years screaming from the rooftops that they would rather we lost aggressively than won defensively so they're probably all very happy.

Just don't show them the run rates or it might break their tiny little brains.

Think those guys are now in hiding or seeking therapy.

They could most definitely do with some therapy, we have been embarrassed. The UAE was a fortress until Misbah left, he was a highly educated man and his awareness for the game can't be overlooked; he had his weaknesses to don't get me wrong but in conditions which suited us always got the best out of the team.

 

[JattMaula]

This fortress doesn't belong to Pakistan anymore. It flies opposition flag more often than not now a days.

 

[MenInG]

This fortress doesn't belong to Pakistan anymore. It flies opposition flag more often than not now a days.

Yes obviously the thread was done at a time when it was!

 

[ipl_fan]

Good to see some arrogant posters having their plates full with delicious humble pie.

 

[MenInG]

Good to see some arrogant posters having their plates full with delicious humble pie.

Where's the arrogance? it was a fact THAT point in time.

 

[Tusker]

Where's the arrogance? it was a fact THAT point in time.

Pakistan had played a grand total of 13 Test matches in UAE at the time when this thread was created which included 2 innings defeats against Aussies in 2002. Even if we ignore those 2 losses ... thats not much of a fortress to brag about given the small sample size of 11 Tests that already had 4 draws 2 each to SL and SA. 4 of these tests were in 2002.

 

[ipl_fan]

Where's the arrogance? it was a fact THAT point in time.

7 wins out of 13 tests is hardly a fortress for anybody but bottom scrapers. The OP oozes over confidence and arrogance as if UAE was never conquered before when Pakistan was playing. Hardly a fact as they barely won half the matches at THAT point in time.

 

[Oligochaetes]

I think only India are capable of defeating us in UAE, purely because they play spin better than anyone else.

We can draw against them but we might struggle if they put 600 on the board.

Teams like NZ, WI and Australia too I think will be whitewashed.

South Africa might sneak a draw in the next game.

You cannot win in UAE without a quality spinner no matter how good your fast bowling attack is.

It doesn't get better than Steyn, Philander and Morkel and Anderson and Broad.

Mr. Mamoon was a very different poster then. Was proud of Pakistani cricket in those days...

How times have changed..sigh!

 

[shariqnoor]

View attachment 76749

Just wanted to put this screenshot out there. Where is [MENTION=57576]MRSN[/MENTION]? I admit I was wrong when I said 2 years. It happened in the very first series after Misbah.

Misbah is being missed - simple!!! He won/drew series with duds like Mohammad Talha, Ehsan Adil, Zulfiqar Babar, Tanvir Ahmed.

 

[Mamoon]

Mr. Mamoon was a very different poster then. Was proud of Pakistani cricket in those days...

How times have changed..sigh!

We were very hard to beat in the UAE in the Misbah and Younis era. We didn’t always play well, in fact we played poorly more often than not and lost plenty of matches, but we found ways to not lose a series.

So yes, times have certainly changed.

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

I will be for one, glad when UAE era is over. If these defeats have any silver lining, it may be that Pakistan doesn't consider UAE as default any more.

Without atmosphere, sport is soulless.

Imagine Usain Bolt doing 100 meters in 9.58 seconds with 20 people watching - It's just not sport.

 

[MMHS]

This thread is probably older than most posters here, therefore fortress wasn’t an inappropriate word that time.

But, seems like the pillars of that fortress is collapsing by every day. First SRL, then AUS (I know, 1-0 ), now Kiwis.... next is Test championship....

Need some deep soul searching from think tank - what they are doing, what needs to be done, where is the gap & why. To me, this Test series is a bigger disaster than Asia Cup or losing to Herath. Of the 12 players, arguably 7 performed more than expected, yet why this result?

As a kid, we used to do a maths - monkey is climbing a slippery bamboo; 1st leap it jumps 3 feet, then slips down one foot. If the bamboo is 9 feet tall ..... when is Micky Arthur going to learn jumping in UAE fortress without slipping down?

 

[ManFan]

This thread is probably older than most posters here, therefore fortress wasn’t an inappropriate word that time.

But, seems like the pillars of that fortress is collapsing by every day. First SRL, then AUS (I know, 1-0 ), now Kiwis.... next is Test championship....

Need some deep soul searching from think tank - what they are doing, what needs to be done, where is the gap & why. To me, this Test series is a bigger disaster than Asia Cup or losing to Herath. Of the 12 players, arguably 7 performed more than expected, yet why this result?

As a kid, we used to do a maths - monkey is climbing a slippery bamboo; 1st leap it jumps 3 feet, then slips down one foot. If the bamboo is 9 feet tall ..... when is Micky Arthur going to learn jumping in UAE fortress without slipping down?

Analogies are not your strength but you get the point across.

If you could have a perfect XI of any Pakistani players from the current domestics included to compete in the UAE, what would it be?

 

[Tusker]

This thread is probably older than most posters here, therefore fortress wasn’t an inappropriate word that time.

But, seems like the pillars of that fortress is collapsing by every day. First SRL, then AUS (I know, 1-0 �&#56618, now Kiwis.... next is Test championship....

Need some deep soul searching from think tank - what they are doing, what needs to be done, where is the gap & why. To me, this Test series is a bigger disaster than Asia Cup or losing to Herath. Of the 12 players, arguably 7 performed more than expected, yet why this result?

As a kid, we used to do a maths - monkey is climbing a slippery bamboo; 1st leap it jumps 3 feet, then slips down one foot. If the bamboo is 9 feet tall ..... when is Micky Arthur going to learn jumping in UAE fortress without slipping down?

It wasn't a fortress to begin with when this thread was made. More like a decorative compound wall that we see in the US. Because when this thread was made ( 16-OCT-2013) it was based on 9 Test Matches and that too after ignoring 4 Tests played in 2002 ( Pak lost 2 of those by Inngs to Aus) as there was a gap of 7-8 yrs after that.

Fun fact: 10 days later after this thread was made SA hammered Pak by an innings ( match did not even go to Day-5) in the very next match of the same series.

Links: http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/...h-africa-tour-of-united-arab-emirates-2013-14

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/en...=span;template=results;type=team;view=results

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Will the UAE become a fortress again now that Misbah-ul-Haq is back?

Now that Misbah is part of the PAK team think tank as coach, do you see the UAE becoming a fortress once again for Pakistan in Test cricket like in the good old days(2010-2017)?

 

[aloo paratha]

It definitely could. Misbah won't be an idiot and play 3 pacers in the UAE. Both the SL series and the NZ series could've been won had we had a proper second spinner. Also helps that Babar Azam seems to finding his feet in test cricket.

 

[HappyWarsFan]

It definitely could. Misbah won't be an idiot and play 3 pacers in the UAE. Both the SL series and the NZ series could've been won had we had a proper second spinner. Also helps that Babar Azam seems to finding his feet in test cricket.

Still can't believe Mickey played 3 pacers then Bilal Asif (rellu katta) in UAE ... Hopefully misbah also drops Azhar Shafiq and Sarfraz. The trio of clowns.