Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood out of Pakistan series : Advantage Pakistan?

[mkyawar]

So it looks like Australia is playing it safe with saving these 2 guys for the big indian summer. Personally I feel on those dead UAE wickets both wont be needed . However still are there any other guys who can fill their shoes or is it advantage pakistan ?

Aus knows they need Strac, Hazlewood and Cummins for India since their batting will be thin.

 

[AssassinatedDevil]

Anything other than a series win seriously isn't acceptable for Pakistan in this series. Smith, Warner, Cummins and Hazlewood all will be missing, so a whitewash should definitely be on the cards.

 

[Joseph Gomes]

If Pakistan doesn't streamroll Australia by innings margin in tests, it should be considered a failure. Also whitewash in ODIs. T20Is don't care.

This Australia team will be minnow, barely better than Zimbabwe and Ireland. Pakistan should thrash them down the ranking.

 

[Ab Fan]

Are they rested for an away test series?

 

[Mamoon]

So Pakistan will trash a third string Australian team, and Sarfraz will get credit for transforming the team.

It is okay to be lucky, but not Sarfraz level lucky.

 

[Canford Cliffs]

So Pakistan will trash a third string Australian team, and Sarfraz will get credit for transforming the team.

It is okay to be lucky, but not Sarfraz level lucky.

Just curious, when was the last time Pakistan played against full strength strong opposition?

 

[Joseph Gomes]

Just curious, when was the last time Pakistan played against full strength strong opposition?

They played test with England two months ago.

 

[shariqnoor]

With Warner and Smith out - two of Australia's best players of spin, we should really be going in with 3 spinners and 1 fast bowler. No point in playing Amir who will be absolutely useless in the UAE.

 

[KyoOne]

So Pakistan will trash a third string Australian team, and Sarfraz will get credit for transforming the team.

It is okay to be lucky, but not Sarfraz level lucky.

You see no change in the team since Azhar's sacking?

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Lolz, we haven't even won a game and haters are already crying.



It's Sarfaraz' fault that Cummins and the other guy are injured and out Pathetic, pathetic haters.

 

[Adijazz1706]

So Pakistan will trash a third string Australian team, and Sarfraz will get credit for transforming the team.

It is okay to be lucky, but not Sarfraz level lucky.

Just look beyond this series to the India tour without Smith and Warner and tell us what u think about Kohli being lucky with that

 

[Canford Cliffs]

Just look beyond this series to the India tour without Smith and Warner and tell us what u think about Kohli being lucky with that

Aust at home even without Smith and Warner is a decent proposition. But they struggle overseas (especially in Asia) even with full strength team. They will be coming to UAE without Hazelwood, CUmmins, Smith & Warner...that is a side weaker than SL

 

[mkyawar]

Aust at home even without Smith and Warner is a decent proposition. But they struggle overseas (especially in Asia) even with full strength team. They will be coming to UAE without Hazelwood, CUmmins, Smith & Warner...that is a side weaker than SL

Yes, but they do have an excellent spin attack. Diluwan Perera and Rangana Herath smashed us. Nathon Lyon and Steve o Keefe are more than capable of doing that. Starc can take the pitch out of the equation

 

[Pakhs]

Aust at home even without Smith and Warner is a decent proposition. But they struggle overseas (especially in Asia) even with full strength team. They will be coming to UAE without Hazelwood, CUmmins, Smith & Warner...that is a side weaker than SL

AUS would be mad to play 3 fast bowlers in UAE anyway. I would say Lyon would have been a bigger miss. And ofcourse Smith and Warner are going to be a big loss for them although Warner is not that great against Spin.

 

[Pakhs]

So Pakistan will trash a third string Australian team, and Sarfraz will get credit for transforming the team.

It is okay to be lucky, but not Sarfraz level lucky.

The best captains are the ones with the best luck! I guess it proves he is the best captain going around.

 

[Mamoon]

You see no change in the team since Azhar's sacking?

There is no doubt that Sarfraz has a better feel for the game than Azhar, but his performance as captain - and consequently, Pakistan’s performance as a team - has been greatly overstated because of the countless matches against minnows and weak opposition.

Since the Champions Trophy, we have only played one proper ODI series and we were thrashed like no tomorrow.

Let’s not forget that Azhar had to cope with a nightmarish schedule.

In just over 12 months in 2015-2016, Azhar had to lead Pakistan in 15 ODIs against England and Australia, and we ended up losing 12 out of those 15 matches which resulted in Azhar getting the boot.

How do you think Sarfraz would cope if he has to play 15 ODIs against full strength England and Australia etc. in just over a year?

He will probably be as clueless and helpless as he was in the New Zealand ODI series.

 

[Mamoon]

The best captains are the ones with the best luck! I guess it proves he is the best captain going around.

If he was the best captain around, he wouldn’t have been demolished 5-0 in New Zealand, which was the only tough ODI series that he has captained since the Champions Trophy.

Getting to play easy fixtures has nothing to do with his captaincy. It is all about being in the right place at the right.

He is lucky that he wasn’t given captaincy after the 2015 World Cup because he avoided all those tough series against England and Australia.

 

[Mamoon]

Just look beyond this series to the India tour without Smith and Warner and tell us what u think about Kohli being lucky with that

Australia will play with their full-strength attack including Hazlewood and Cummins. Also, their batting in Australia will always be strong - they are not short on home bullies.

Yes of course they will not be the same without Smith and Warner, but they still have batsmen who will do well in Australia.

However, if they were to tour India without Smith, it would have been a different story anyway. Warner is rubbish in India anyway.

 

[Pakhs]

If he was the best captain around, he wouldn’t have been demolished 5-0 in New Zealand, which was the only tough ODI series that he has captained since the Champions Trophy.

Getting to play easy fixtures has nothing to do with his captaincy. It is all about being in the right place at the right.

He is lucky that he wasn’t given captaincy after the 2015 World Cup because he avoided all those tough series against England and Australia.

Well he did win CT and T20 series against NZ. Anyway if he is lucky thats a sign of a good captain. I hope he stays this lucky for net 10 years.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Do these guys even play any cricket?

 

[Canford Cliffs]

Do these guys even play any cricket?

Only high profile series and against stronger opponents. Its a tactical rest to keep them fresh for India series.

 

[Sam99]

I am sure even starc will get injured even before series starts. They will either go with best bowling attack or worst

 

[Aman]

Smith, Warner, Hazlewood and Cummins out? Why even bother inviting them, there's little to gain from beating a weak Aussie team. As a neutral it's really hurt my interest for this series. Pakistan should look to crush Aus comprehensively and get some easy Test points.

 

[90MPH]

Smith, Warner, Hazlewood and Cummins out? Why even bother inviting them, there's little to gain from beating a weak Aussie team. As a neutral it's really hurt my interest for this series. Pakistan should look to crush Aus comprehensively and get some easy Test points.

Pakistan were favourites anyway even if they had all those players , they had full strength team in 2014.

Australia are just awful in subcontinent conditions in the last few years especially as they don’t have the batsmen for these conditions.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

No need to play 3 pacers anyways.. Only 1 of Cummins or Hazlewood would have made the team along with Starc. Plus not pacers rather spinners have decided matches in UAE for last 7 - 8 years. Even if 2 of Amir / Abbas / Hassan get injured i won't mind much infact maybe I would rest 1 or 2 of them in few mathces..

So much being made out of nothing!

 

[mak36]

1) Smith and Warner are out because they cheated and are currently serving a ban as punishment. Why should we undermine the ban by saying games played during that period don't count? Should Australia stop playing a sport played by XI players a side because two players have been banned? Sharjeel is also banned. Does that mean all of Pakistan's losses can be discounted since his ban? When Amir was banned, did the matches played not count?

2) Injuries are part and parcel of a game. Should we discount every single result where an injury has affected a team? In that case the tour to NZ can be wiped out.

3) Point 2 is made all the more important when you consider who the injured players are; Australia's pace trio is almost permanently injured. Starc, Cummins and to a lesser extent Hazelwood spend more time in rehab than they do on the cricket pitch. All three of them playing together is rarer than a blue moon.

4) In UAE pitches, Cummins and Hazelwood won't be as effective. For example, Cummins averages 29 in Bangladesh with a S/R of 63. Hazelwood has an 35.37 average in Asia (vs Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh). Also Pakistan played the likes of Starc in Australia well. They would have been played them even better in the UAE. Australia's lack of a quality spinner, other than Lyon, will hurt them more.

In short, certain posters need to stop attention-seeking and find something more productive to do with their time.

 

[IMMY69]

Pakistan were favourites anyway even if they had all those players , they had full strength team in 2014.

Australia are just awful in subcontinent conditions in the last few years especially as they don’t have the batsmen for these conditions.

That’s right.
Australia are pathetic in Asia and have been so since the legends retired.

Really India is the only competition for Pakistan in Asia but they’ll go to any extent to refuse playing us in bi laterals. Their Extremist Government together with their fake news have clouded the judgment of almost all of the Indian public.... So much so that they’re living in alternate reality.

 

[Aman]

Pakistan were favourites anyway even if they had all those players , they had full strength team in 2014.

Australia are just awful in subcontinent conditions in the last few years especially as they don’t have the batsmen for these conditions.

They were, but do you give an Aus team without 4 of their best any chance? With them there was still an outside chance of them winning a Test, they did it in India in tougher conditions. They've played quite a bit in these conditions. Heck, do you think they can even compete? Pakistan should win all the Tests comprehensively.

 

[Canford Cliffs]

That’s right.
Australia are pathetic in Asia and have been so since the legends retired.

Really India is the only competition for Pakistan in Asia but they’ll go to any extent to refuse playing us in bi laterals. Their Extremist Government together with their fake news have clouded the judgment of almost all of the Indian public.... So much so that they’re living in alternate reality.

Surely SL disagrees after 2-0 whitewash?

 

[mak36]

Also, the fact a "full-strength" Australia team nearly lost a test series against Bangladesh, and had to make do with a draw tells you everything you need to know.

Pakistan were always favourites for this series. Injuries to impactless players (in these conditions) won't have made a difference.

 

[Aman]

Also, the fact a "full-strength" Australia team nearly lost a test series against Bangladesh, and had to make do with a draw tells you everything you need to know.

Pakistan were always favourites for this series. Injuries to impactless players (in these conditions) won't have made a difference.

Different conditions.

Playing in the UAE is a lot different to playing on some turners in India or Bangladesh.

 

[mak36]

Different conditions.

Playing in the UAE is a lot different to playing on some turners in India or Bangladesh.

The player that would have made the biggest difference (Smith) is out because he cheated and is being punished.

The absence of Cummins and Hazelwood is a red herring that certain posters are using to try and distract from that fact.

 

[Aman]

^should elaborate different in that it's tougher to play in India and Bangladesh as those pitches usually start to earlier and it feels like a ball with your name on it is around the corner.

In UAE it's easier for batsmen as long as they apply themselves. The issue for Aus would have been getting wickets, but if they prepared well they could have drawn, or stolen a Test if their bowling clicked (along with a Pakistan collapse).

 

[Aman]

The player that would have made the biggest difference (Smith) is out because he cheated and is being punished.

The absence of Cummins and Hazelwood is a red herring that certain posters are using to try and distract from that fact.

Oh yeah, Cummins and Hazlewood would have made little difference in the end. It's just with all those losses it kills a lot of interest IMO. If Smith and Warner put the runs on the board and put Pakistan under some pressure, who knows those two could have made use of it. It would be no fun beating this Aus team, you're expected to win and win well.

 

[IMMY69]

Surely SL disagrees after 2-0 whitewash?

Sri Lanka are decent and we underestimated them. Herath has always had the wool over us.
But no one is gonna dispute that the two big Guns from Asia are Pakistan and India. Now if only India could shed its extremism maybe one day we’ll see which is the better team.

 

[Syed1]

Smith, Warner, Hazlewood and Cummins out? Why even bother inviting them, there's little to gain from beating a weak Aussie team. As a neutral it's really hurt my interest for this series. Pakistan should look to crush Aus comprehensively and get some easy Test points.

We slammed the door on a full strength Aussie side in UAE already.... Know your facts before mouthing off

 

[Kaka4pope]

Unfortunately a reality for Australia's strapping quicks these days - Starc, Hazelwood, Cummins, Pattinson all have their injury problems. Not sure if is just coincidence...

 

[AFM]

Injured or scared?

 

[Aman]

We slammed the door on a full strength Aussie side in UAE already.... Know your facts before mouthing off

Uhh, yeah I know. I was here for that series... I even said Pakistan would have been favorites. Maybe you should read before getting carried away as usual.

Aus were hopeless in the SC before, but they've seemed to improved and even managed to win a game in India while putting up a fight in the series.

 

[the Great Khan]

So its sarfraz's fault the opposition is depleted? when we were depleted over the last two decades i dindt hear complaints from our opposition or thier fans? they were happy to hand out a beating and then laug at us..well inshallah this time we'll hand out a solid beating to these cheats..I hope the umpires keep a close eye on the Aussies when they are bowling. Any signs of reverse before the 30 over mark will need to be looked at..

 

[Ahson8]

For those saying Pakistan will be at an advantage...

1) Pace bowlers are not that effective in UAE anyway. Starc & Johnson were thrashed last time they visited UAE

2) Starc and Stanlake are still first-line bowlers

 

[princeuk]

UUmmmm, since when is Pat Cummins a regular in the side because of injuries anyway? The only loss is Josh Hazelwood, so dont give us the whole australia coming with a third grade team. Autralia turned into a third grade team with the loss of David Warner And Steve Smith anyway. Not pakistan's fault.

 

[Pakhs]

Uhh, yeah I know. I was here for that series... I even said Pakistan would have been favorites. Maybe you should read before getting carried away as usual.

Aus were hopeless in the SC before, but they've seemed to improved and even managed to win a game in India while putting up a fight in the series.

That was against India not Pakistan.

 

[hadi123]

I think Pakistan would have been favourites anyway. These two won't be anywhere near as missed as David Warner and Steve Smith will.

 

[ManFan]

These Aussies can not play a straight ball because they think the ball will move in a million different directions when in reality it can only turn three ways:

1) Left
2) Right
3) Straight

As long as we remember to play two spinners this time along with a spinning all-rounder (Shadab), we will be fine.

I back Pakistan even with a faulty line-up to whitewash Australia.

 

[zn426]

I think we can dismiss the silliness that Pakistan is a bad Test team. The same English team we drew a series with just beat that same India team the haters love to praise in spite of a Kohli masterclass.

Australia is more than beatable with or without their banned/injured players. It will be a disappointment if it isn't a whitewash.

 

[TeymurBlake]

With or without these guys, Pakistan are and were going to be favourites but if we were gonna lose this series then our players must take the blame as this Australia team is there to be had and aren't good in the subcontinent conditions.

 

[slipcatch]

What is this 'giving up' attitude from Australia? Just because they know they do not have a chance to win a series against Pakistan in UAE they have decided to give up all together by not playing their best players, pathetic from them.

I do not remember when was the last time Australia team had ever given up.

 

[Syed1]

What is this 'giving up' attitude from Australia? Just because they know they do not have a chance to win a series against Pakistan in UAE they have decided to give up all together by not playing their best players, pathetic from them.

I do not remember when was the last time Australia team had ever given up.

I don't know where this news of "give up" came from, most sources are saying that Cummins and Hazelwood are suffering from stress fractures.

 

[slipcatch]

I don't know where this news of "give up" came from, most sources are saying that Cummins and Hazelwood are suffering from stress fractures.

Well, OP didn't mention that, OP made it seem like they were rested, which translate into, we aren't going to win, so we will give up.

 

[Syed1]

Well, OP didn't mention that, OP made it seem like they were rested, which translate into, we aren't going to win, so we will give up.

Direct from the horse's mouth

https://www.cricket.com.au/news/josh-hazlewood-pat-cummins-ruled-out-of-pakistan-seris-united-arab-emirates-uae-cricket-australia/2018-08-09

Mitchell Starc will be the only member of Australia's Ashes-winning pace trio to feature on the upcoming Test tour against Pakistan after Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins were ruled out through injury.

 

[MMHS]

Even without these 2 PAK might struggle to beat AUS, if Arthur stick tight to his 3+1 bowling combination, on these wickets in October. Apart from AUS's much better skills against pace (on these dead slow & burnt mud wickets), 3+1 combination means killing Yasir with 35 overs/day and breaking down the pacers with 18 overs average workload/day.

In any case, I don't think AUS would have played all 3 pacers, because if available, they'll play Mitch (or may be Stoinis), which makes it over kill of 3 pacers, backed by a pace all-rounder and Lyon. Most likely H'wood was destined to be benched for O'Keeffe or another spinner - that makes 2.5 pacer & 2 genuine spinners, which is perfect balance.

For PAK, it should be 2+3, or 1.5+3 (Fahim as 2nd pacer); at worst 2+2.5 - otherwise who is playing for AUS for bowling fast in desert hardly matters. It's a contest between time & AUS's 20 wickets; not PAK batsmen Vs AUS pace bowlers.

 

[ManFan]

Even without these 2 PAK might struggle to beat AUS, if Arthur stick tight to his 3+1 bowling combination, on these wickets in October. Apart from AUS's much better skills against pace (on these dead slow & burnt mud wickets), 3+1 combination means killing Yasir with 35 overs/day and breaking down the pacers with 18 overs average workload/day.

In any case, I don't think AUS would have played all 3 pacers, because if available, they'll play Mitch (or may be Stoinis), which makes it over kill of 3 pacers, backed by a pace all-rounder and Lyon. Most likely H'wood was destined to be benched for O'Keeffe or another spinner - that makes 2.5 pacer & 2 genuine spinners, which is perfect balance.

For PAK, it should be 2+3, or 1.5+3 (Fahim as 2nd pacer); at worst 2+2.5 - otherwise who is playing for AUS for bowling fast in desert hardly matters. It's a contest between time & AUS's 20 wickets; not PAK batsmen Vs AUS pace bowlers.

Knowing MA, he will probably play Shadab and Yasir in tandem.

Which I think is a bad idea...

 

[MMHS]

Knowing MA, he will probably play Shadab and Yasir in tandem.

Which I think is a bad idea...

AUS might load the line-up with 6 lefti ..... Shadab can play as 3rd spinner (all-rounder), but a finger spinner is MUST against AUS, preferably 2 with a SLAO & an offie.

 

[Kohli The King of Chase]

1.I Ul Haq
2.F Zaman
3.A Ali
4.A Shafiq
5.B Azam
6.S Ahmed + *
7.S Khan
8.F Ashraf
9.B Asif
10.Y SHAH
11.M Abbas

This has depth in batting with Bilal at 9 and, also has 3 spinners with Fakhar as a part timer and a 4th spinner.

Give no space for Aussies to breath.

 

[mak36]

1.I Ul Haq
2.F Zaman
3.A Ali
4.A Shafiq
5.B Azam
6.S Ahmed + *
7.S Khan
8.F Ashraf
9.B Asif
10.Y SHAH
11.M Abbas

This has depth in batting with Bilal at 9 and, also has 3 spinners with Fakhar as a part timer and a 4th spinner.

Give no space for Aussies to breath.

Azhar is an opener.

Haris at three.

Still mulling over my preferred bowling options.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

Smith, Warner, Hazlewood and Cummins out? Why even bother inviting them, there's little to gain from beating a weak Aussie team. As a neutral it's really hurt my interest for this series. Pakistan should look to crush Aus comprehensively and get some easy Test points.

Pakistan would have crushed them with or without Smith,Hazlewood and Cummins.Only Warner would have made any real difference.

 

[Aman]

Pakistan would have crushed them with or without Smith,Hazlewood and Cummins.Only Warner would have made any real difference.

I wouldn't say they would have crushed them. Pakistan would have been favorites but it wouldn't have surprised me in the least bit if they won or drew a Test. They're far better than they use to be in these conditions and frankly if we could do it against a far better Pakistan team, no doubt a full strength and better prepared Aus team can.

Your batting isn't exactly the best atm and you were beaten 2-0 by SL. Not sure about how your bowling is now in these conditions.

 

[Justcrazy]

I agree with [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] , Pakistan need to play three spin options , with at least one finger spinner. Aussies are weak against spin , you need to play to your own strengths.

 

[Hasan123]

There's no excuse not to win this series now.

 

[giri26]

Hazlewood 'cutting it close' as Australia pacers look to get back on the road

Josh Hazlewood, the Australia fast bowler, expects to have recovered from a back problem in time for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019, while Mitchell Starc, his fellow paceman, is also on course for a return.

Hazlewood has been out of action since January, missing the team's home Tests against Sri Lanka and the limited-overs international tours of India and the United Arab Emirates, where they are currently playing Pakistan. Hazlewood doesn't think he'll be fit when Australia begin their training camp in May, or when they play New Zealand in one-day internationals as part of their World Cup preparation, but he aims to be match ready for the official warm-ups.

"When the squad gets announced [on April 23] I'll probably be 65-70 per cent [fit], and I've still got a good four or five weeks from that date to get ready to play one-day cricket," Hazlewood said on the Unplayable Podcast.

"We head up to Brisbane early May – there's a couple of games against New Zealand I believe. I don't think I'll be fit for those, but [for] the one-day warm-up games in England, I think I'll be right. Cutting it a little bit close, I guess, but pretty confident."

On the sidelines with Hazlewood has been his bowling partner Starc, who has been dealing with a pectoral muscle injury. According to Hazlewood, Starc, too, is on the way to recovery: "He looks fine, he started bowling as well this week. He's coming off not as big a break as me, so won't take him long to get up and running."

According to reports, Starc's expected return is in May. And while there are concerns that a hasty comeback might set the duo back in a big season, featuring the World Cup, followed by the Ashes, Pat Cummins, the other key member of the fast bowlers' group, insisted that his team-mates were keen to be a part of both formats.

"They've both been smashing themselves in the gym and running back home in Sydney. They're doing everything they can to be right [for the World Cup]," he said.

Cummins himself was rested for the first two ODIs against Pakistan, and he felt managing workloads would be important in the coming months. "It's quite a long tour [of England and Wales], so probably managing in between games and how you train [is important], just trying to give yourself every chance to play," he said.

"The World Cup is really busy, but it's about two games a week. Hopefully, we can manage."

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1128218