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Why do England keep shelling home Tests?

Varun

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In this era where everybody and their dog is a grade-A HTB, how is it that England loses tests at home consistently?

With the greatest of respect to every team on the winning side, I can recall - off the top of my head - losses against India, New Zealand, Australia, Lanka (2014) and now, Pakistan?

If somebody is a Statsguru expert, they can probably make out that England are near the bottom wrt their home record.
 
Because England are non FTBs.. Any Tom Dick and Harry comes up and won one game atleast either at oval or at Lords and their bowlers struggle on flat decks.
 
I dont know. But one thing I will say, Pakistan got slightly better conditions than Sri Lanka before them. And perhaps even last year Australia faced slight different pitches.
 
Uhmm winning a test is a different story then competing and drawing a series 2 - 2 in the uk.

When did eng lose the last time 2 tests at home in a series?

Eng overall is perhaps the best test unit keeping all conditions in mind.

No surprize they hold all trophies except vs pakistan, who are a formidable test side as well.

India for example one 1 test but the last 2 tests they played were over in 3 days?

That really was a farce.
 
Uhmm winning a test is a different story then competing and drawing a series 2 - 2 in the uk.

When did eng lose the last time 2 tests at home in a series?

Eng overall is perhaps the best test unit keeping all conditions in mind.

No surprize they hold all trophies except vs pakistan, who are a formidable test side as well.

India for example one 1 test but the last 2 tests they played were over in 3 days?

That really was a farce.

England lost 2 tests against Australia last year.
 
I guess the curators are independent as well unlike for some teams, so they can't have the pitches they want all the time.

Think they're the only team that are better tourists than home guards.
 
I guess the curators are independent as well unlike for some teams, so they can't have the pitches they want all the time.

Though surprisingly they end up being the perfect decks to counter the opposition that season: green mambas vs India, spinning tops vs Australia, etc.
 
Before this series, England had not lost or even drawn a 4(or more) test matches series since 2008.

So they might have lost a match here or there against India or Australia but they always end up winning the series.
 
Though surprisingly they end up being the perfect decks to counter the opposition that season: green mambas vs India, spinning tops vs Australia, etc.

And preparing multiple flat tracks against the current Aussie team is clearly in their interest...
 
England have only lost 4 Test series at home since the 2001 Ashes - SAF in 2008 and 2012, India in 2007 and Sri Lanka in 2014.

Losing Tests is one thing but series-wise, they've had a consistent record of success and has required teams at the very top of their game to beat them, i.e. an ATG South Africa team in 2008 and 2012.
 
England have only lost 4 Test series at home since the 2001 Ashes - SAF in 2008 and 2012, India in 2007 and Sri Lanka in 2014.

"Only" 4? That probably consigns them to the rubbish heap alongside West Indies and co.
 
Boom - another one.

And it didn't even need this loss to state that they have lost to every top 8 nation at least once since 2013.

They can never be the #1 team - either on merit or as per the rankings at this rate.
 
Dry Summers in recent years have created better scoring wickets and slightly more assistance for spinners. With a poor batting line you won't out bat teams when no one in the side is able to score 150+ once in every couple of tests and consistently convert 50s to 100s. This actually a feature of England's star batsman (Root) let alone the battline line up as a whole.

Touring sides are at their weakest when it is very overcast or when the pitch is green like it was at Trent Bridge when Broad took that 8fer in their last home Ashes series. England is at their strongest in low scoring conditions since it negates the difference in batting quality.
 
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Boom - another one.

And it didn't even need this loss to state that they have lost to every top 8 nation at least once since 2013.

They can never be the #1 team - either on merit or as per the rankings at this rate.

They don't dominate at home but have they lost any series since 2014 at home?
 
Dry Summers in recent years have created better scoring wickets and slightly more assistance for spinners. With a poor batting line you won't out bat teams when no one in the side is able to score 150+ once in every couple of tests and consistently convert 50s to 100s. This actually a feature of England's star batsman (Root) let alone the battline line up as a whole.

Touring sides are at their weakest when it is very overcast or when the pitch is green like it was at Trent Bridge when Broad took that 8fer in their last home Ashes series. England is at their strongest in low scoring conditions since it negates the difference in batting quality.

That would had been true but 2014 Lord's test vs India speaks otherwise, for India to have a chance to win we need assistance in bowling, 2nd innings of Trent Bridge speaks on that.

Also you seem to forget their terrible catching this series, you just can't miss out on so many catches intest cricket.
 
That would had been true but 2014 Lord's test vs India speaks otherwise, for India to have a chance to win we need assistance in bowling, 2nd innings of Trent Bridge speaks on that.

Also you seem to forget their terrible catching this series, you just can't miss out on so many catches intest cricket.

In response to the thread I didn't go as far back as 2014, I only went far as 2016 because that is when the wickets have become noticeably easier to score which coincides when the summers have began getting drier. Even a weak Pakistan batting line scored more runs than expected - somehow Misbah managed to score a ton.

I agree on catches, that has cost England a lot of runs as well.
 
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I think it's similar with SA. There's just too much variety in English pitches, hence there's bound to be a few that favour the opposition more (e.g. oval) and is less predictable so harder to win every match. Though with England, pitches tend to be a bit flatter, thus asian teams less likely to struggle with the bounce that you get in SA.

Think England pitches are the best for test cricket, there's less of a home advantage. And there's a bit of everything for everyone, pace, spin, good batting tracks. But it's difficult to recreate English style of pitches in other countries.
 
If somebody is a Statsguru expert, they can probably make out that England are near the bottom wrt their home record.

Eng is near the top in the last 10 years in W/L at home. Not near the bottom.

eng_home.jpg
 
Can you adjust the filter to 2012 to date? I suspect it will be a very different picture.

W/L drops to 2.0. Lower but still not that bad.

Ind, SA, Aus and NZ have higher W/L at home since 2012.
 
Its because England's pitches assist seam and swing. And given that most teams have quick bowlers who can exploit that, they have a chance of taking 20 wickets. Once you can do that, then the game is open.

Why do Australia and England struggle on spinning wickets? Because they don't have the bowlers to knock teams over for low totals on those surfaces.
 
England post 2012 hasn't been a top drawer for some reason or other.

Since 2013, although they have a series win in South Africa but outside that there is not much to talk about as far as away performance is concerned and their home performance is mediocre as well. They have lost matches to Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies, all of them.
 
Because their squad for the last four years has had...

1) Batsmen with little to no defense.

2) A poor opener.

3) Bowlers who require favorable conditions to perform.
 
Because Englishmen get ahead in a series and then take their feet off the gas.

Can’t be seen to be trying too hard. That’s for Yanks and Aussies.
 
England is no fortress like India. They do win the series mostly but a test win for visitors is always on. In India, if the home team loses a test it seems like an extraordinary historic event. You don't ever forget India's test defeats at home because they are so rare.
 
Because Englishmen get ahead in a series and then take their feet off the gas.

Can’t be seen to be trying too hard. That’s for Yanks and Aussies.

You lost to India in 2014 before winning a test.

Pakistan also won tests when series was alive.

India currently is going into 4th test with momentum on their side. You are not losing dead rubbers.
 
England have only lost 4 Test series at home since the 2001 Ashes - SAF in 2008 and 2012, India in 2007 and Sri Lanka in 2014.

Losing Tests is one thing but series-wise, they've had a consistent record of success and has required teams at the very top of their game to beat them, i.e. an ATG South Africa team in 2008 and 2012.

Spot on. The series record has been good.

Individual Tests have been lost at home not only because of the quality sporting wickets compared with most countries, but mainly because England sides are usually very inconsistent.
 
Why do England keep shelling home Tests?
A: Because they ain’t such a good side and have many loopholes in the team. Not only that they are also stupid. Dropping Sam Curran was a blunder and I could not believe when I saw the squad for the 3rd test. In addition England are as stubborn as stubborn can be, otherwise why would they keep a world class player like Ian Bell away from the test squad.
 
"Only" 4? That probably consigns them to the rubbish heap alongside West Indies and co.

4 home series dropped in 17 years isn’t too bad.

Australia at home have lost to South Africa thrice and England once during that time (4 losses). Meanwhile South Africa at home have lost to England twice and Australia four times (6 losses).

India in comparison are clearly next to impossible to beat at home. In those 17 years they have lost 2 home series only - once to Australia and once to England.
 
Why do England keep shelling home Tests?
A: Because they ain’t such a good side and have many loopholes in the team. Not only that they are also stupid. Dropping Sam Curran was a blunder and I could not believe when I saw the squad for the 3rd test. In addition England are as stubborn as stubborn can be, otherwise why would they keep a world class player like Ian Bell away from the test squad.

England are turning into Pakistan if they're seriously thinking of going back to Ian Bell for his "experience" or recalling TTF James Vince.

Surely there's some gritty batsmen in County Championship who can handle the new ball ?
 
England are turning into Pakistan if they're seriously thinking of going back to Ian Bell for his "experience" or recalling TTF James Vince.

Surely there's some gritty batsmen in County Championship who can handle the new ball ?

Not every nation has youngsta beauties waiting to be unleashed. :ashwin
 
England are turning into Pakistan if they're seriously thinking of going back to Ian Bell for his "experience" or recalling TTF James Vince.

Surely there's some gritty batsmen in County Championship who can handle the new ball ?

There's one, but he can't play for England :azhar2
 
If we look at series losses at home since 2000s:-

India:- 2( Australia, England)
Aus:- 4( SA 3, England 1)
SA:- 6( Australia 4, England 2)
Eng:- 4( SA 2, SL 1, Ind 1)

SA used to be Australia's punching bag back in 2000s. Pollock and Donald weren't that effective against Australia while McGrath/Warne made big differences to matches/series against them.
 
How is everyone a "grade A HTB"? Sri Lanka, WI, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and South Africa have all lost a series at home recently.
 
If we look at series losses at home since 2000s:-

India:- 2( Australia, England)
Aus:- 4( SA 3, England 1)
SA:- 6( Australia 4, England 2)
Eng:- 4( SA 2, SL 1, Ind 1)

SA used to be Australia's punching bag back in 2000s. Pollock and Donald weren't that effective against Australia while McGrath/Warne made big differences to matches/series against them.

Also look at series draws. Pakistan drew 2 series against England. That's very embarrassing. England shouldn't be top 5 in tests. Pakistan is much better, as Pak would atomize England in UAE.
 
Also look at series draws. Pakistan drew 2 series against England. That's very embarrassing. England shouldn't be top 5 in tests. Pakistan is much better, as Pak would atomize England in UAE.
Rankings aren't calculated over H2H records between 2 teams, there are other test nations to play as well.
 
Also look at series draws. Pakistan drew 2 series against England. That's very embarrassing. England shouldn't be top 5 in tests. Pakistan is much better, as Pak would atomize England in UAE.

One correction there:- Since we are counting since 2000, Ashes 2001 makes it 5 for England. I counted for England since Ashes 2001.

Series drawn at home since 2000 for these 4 teams:-

Australia:- 3(2 by NZ, 1 by Ind)
South Africa:- 3( 1 by Ind, 1 by Aus, 1 by Eng)
India:- 5( 2 by SA, 1 by NZ, 1 by Eng, 1 by Pak)
England:- 7( 3 by Pakistan, 1 by SA, Ind, NZ, SL)

NZ, to their credit have drawn test series in Australia twice and once in India as well.

<B>Total at home(losses+ draws):-</B>

Australia:- 7
India:- 7
SA:- 9
England:- 12
 
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One correction there:- Since we are counting since 2000, Ashes 2001 makes it 5 for England. I counted for England since Ashes 2001.

Series drawn at home since 2000 for these 4 teams:-

Australia:- 3(2 by NZ, 1 by Ind)
South Africa:- 3( 1 by Ind, 1 by Aus, 1 by Eng)
India:- 5( 2 by SA, 1 by NZ, 1 by Eng, 1 by Pak)
England:- 7( 3 by Pakistan, 1 by SA, Ind, NZ, SL)

NZ, to their credit have drawn test series in Australia twice and once in India as well.

<B>Total at home(losses+ draws):-</B>

Australia:- 7
India:- 7
SA:- 9
England:- 12

I would've understood England drawing series to SENA, but it it also drew multiple series with SC teams. Unbelievable mediocrity.

ICC test rankings need massive overhaul. It's not much better than T20 rankings.
 
I would've understood England drawing series to SENA, but it it also drew multiple series with SC teams. Unbelievable mediocrity.

ICC test rankings need massive overhaul. It's not much better than T20 rankings.

Yes, Asian teams have drawn multiple series to England in England. The only thing England has an advantage is that they haven't lost/drawn to Australia at home since Ashes 2001.

Can someone do losses+draws at home for Pakistan since 2000. Need to check if count is higher than 12 or not?
 
For Pakistan since 2000(losses+ draws at home), I think of

3 by South Africa
1 by India
1 by New Zealand(maybe more)
1 by Australia
1 by England

Quite a few by Sri Lanka I think.
 
Yes, Asian teams have drawn multiple series to England in England. The only thing England has an advantage is that they haven't lost/drawn to Australia at home since Ashes 2001.

Can someone do losses+draws at home for Pakistan since 2000. Need to check if count is higher than 12 or not?

[table=width: 600, class: grid, align: center]
[tr][td]Series [/td][td]Matches [/td][td]Result [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1999-2000 vs Sri Lanka [/td][td]3 [/td][td]Sri Lanka 2-1 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2000-2001 vs England [/td][td]3 [/td][td]England 1-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2001-2002 vs West Indies [/td][td]2 [/td][td]Pakistan 2-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2001-2002 vs New Zealand [/td][td]2 [/td][td]Pakistan 1-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2002-2003 vs Australia [/td][td]3 [/td][td]Australia 3-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2003-2004 vs Bangladesh [/td][td]3 [/td][td]Pakistan 3-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2003-2004 vs South Africa [/td][td]2 [/td][td]Pakistan 1-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2003-2004 vs India [/td][td]3 [/td][td]India 2-1 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2004-2005 vs Sri Lanka [/td][td]2 [/td][td]Drawn 1-1 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2005-2006 vs England [/td][td]3 [/td][td]Pakistan 2-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2005-2006 vs India [/td][td]3 [/td][td]Pakistan 1-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2006-2007 vs West Indies [/td][td]3 [/td][td]Pakistan 2-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2007-2008 vs South Africa [/td][td]2 [/td][td]South Africa 1-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2008-2009 vs Sri Lanka [/td][td]2 [/td][td]Drawn 0-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2010-2011 vs Australia [/td][td]2 [/td][td]Drawn 1-1 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2010-2011 vs South Africa [/td][td]2 [/td][td]Drawn 0-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2011-2012 vs Sri Lanka [/td][td]3 [/td][td]Pakistan 1-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2011-2012 vs England [/td][td]3 [/td][td]Pakistan 3-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2013-2014 vs South Africa [/td][td]2 [/td][td]Drawn 1-1 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2013-2014 vs Sri Lanka [/td][td]3 [/td][td]Drawn 1-1 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2014-2015 vs Australia [/td][td]2 [/td][td]Pakistan 2-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2014-2015 vs New Zealand [/td][td]3 [/td][td]Drawn 1-1 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2015-2016 vs England [/td][td]3 [/td][td]Pakistan 2-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2016-2017 vs West Indies [/td][td]3 [/td][td]Pakistan 2-1 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2017-2018 vs Sri Lanka [/td][td]2 [/td][td]Sri Lanka 2-0 [/td][/tr]
[/table]

Total 25
Win 12
Loss 6
Draw 7
 
[table=width: 600, class: grid, align: center]
[tr][td]Series [/td][td]Matches [/td][td]Result [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]1999-2000 vs Sri Lanka [/td][td]3 [/td][td]Sri Lanka 2-1 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2000-2001 vs England [/td][td]3 [/td][td]England 1-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2001-2002 vs West Indies [/td][td]2 [/td][td]Pakistan 2-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2001-2002 vs New Zealand [/td][td]2 [/td][td]Pakistan 1-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2002-2003 vs Australia [/td][td]3 [/td][td]Australia 3-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2003-2004 vs Bangladesh [/td][td]3 [/td][td]Pakistan 3-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2003-2004 vs South Africa [/td][td]2 [/td][td]Pakistan 1-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2003-2004 vs India [/td][td]3 [/td][td]India 2-1 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2004-2005 vs Sri Lanka [/td][td]2 [/td][td]Drawn 1-1 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2005-2006 vs England [/td][td]3 [/td][td]Pakistan 2-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2005-2006 vs India [/td][td]3 [/td][td]Pakistan 1-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2006-2007 vs West Indies [/td][td]3 [/td][td]Pakistan 2-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2007-2008 vs South Africa [/td][td]2 [/td][td]South Africa 1-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2008-2009 vs Sri Lanka [/td][td]2 [/td][td]Drawn 0-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2010-2011 vs Australia [/td][td]2 [/td][td]Drawn 1-1 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2010-2011 vs South Africa [/td][td]2 [/td][td]Drawn 0-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2011-2012 vs Sri Lanka [/td][td]3 [/td][td]Pakistan 1-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2011-2012 vs England [/td][td]3 [/td][td]Pakistan 3-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2013-2014 vs South Africa [/td][td]2 [/td][td]Drawn 1-1 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2013-2014 vs Sri Lanka [/td][td]3 [/td][td]Drawn 1-1 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2014-2015 vs Australia [/td][td]2 [/td][td]Pakistan 2-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2014-2015 vs New Zealand [/td][td]3 [/td][td]Drawn 1-1 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2015-2016 vs England [/td][td]3 [/td][td]Pakistan 2-0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2016-2017 vs West Indies [/td][td]3 [/td][td]Pakistan 2-1 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2017-2018 vs Sri Lanka [/td][td]2 [/td][td]Sri Lanka 2-0 [/td][/tr]
[/table]

Total 25
Win 12
Loss 6
Draw 7

So, the count for losses/draws at home for Pakistan is 13.

India- 7
Australia- 7
South Africa- 9
England- 12
Pakistan- 13

Important to note that the number of matches each teams have played at home will be different.
 
Pakistan have a shoddy record vs Lanka both in Pakistan and in the UAE.

Wonder why that is.
 
Pakistan have a shoddy record vs Lanka both in Pakistan and in the UAE.

Wonder why that is.

Because SL have been excellent players of spin. Before and after the Mahela/Sanga era.
 
England has couple of issues, at least in the current team:

1. They have an unsettled batting line up with an Ageing Cook and their best player cannot score 3 figures to save his life
2. The English conditions help the pace bowlers and all countries have couple of good bowlers.

The combination of 1 and 2 is causing England to lose more at home. The same reason, SA provides an opportunity for visiting teams to at least pull one back.
 
In the latter half of the summer they play on pitches where you need quick bowlers which they don't have. A good spinner which they are struggling to find. And batsmen who can bat for long periods and score big.
 
England are a mediocre and overrated test team as I have been harping on about for ages.They have lost Tests to WI,Pak,SL,Aus,Ind,NZ and SA within the last 5 years.

During the last 3 years :

They drew in Bangladesh and WI.

They lost in Australia,NZ,India and UAE(against Pak)

The only place they have a good record in South Africa(when SA were at their lowest ebb).

Their last tour of SL was 2012 when they drew.But SL were very strong at that time and both teams have changed.
 
Their last tour of SL was 2012 when they drew.But SL were very strong at that time and both teams have changed.

Lanka slammed Australia 3-0 last year, and similarly beat South Africa just recently.

England are not going to find it easy.
 
OMG, Since Feb 1987, after India lost to Pak 1-0, India have been beaten only thrice in a series at home and have won around 35 series since then. That is truly Home Track domination.
 
Eagerly waiting for Eng-SL test series, might put some English players' careers in danger.
 
In this era where everybody and their dog is a grade-A HTB, how is it that England loses tests at home consistently?

With the greatest of respect to every team on the winning side, I can recall - off the top of my head - losses against India, New Zealand, Australia, Lanka (2014) and now, Pakistan?

If somebody is a Statsguru expert, they can probably make out that England are near the bottom wrt their home record.

Hey stop jinxing man. We want to win the series.
 
Eagerly waiting for Eng-SL test series, might put some English players' careers in danger.

I think it will make some careers of some of the young players, and break some others.
 
That's true as well.

Curran could've a career defining series in SL, as SL pitches are no longer flat decks they earlier used to be.
 
Boom. Another one.

Home and Away, England always lose at least a test to the West Indies.
 
They shell home Tests but not home series, still unbeaten since Sri Lanka's 2014 tour.
 
The pitches are generally quite sporting. Unlike most other countries they dont doctor them to favour the home team too much.

Obviously this game was played in empty stands but the crowds are genuinley the most sporting in cricket also.

The combination of sporting pitches, sporting home crowds and the number of immigrants that come to support the away team is why a test series in England is the pinnacle of test cricket.

They might shell a few tests here and there but overall whenever a test is played in England, cricket is the winner.
 
England are a hugely overrated team across all formats. Anytime they slightly well, they’re overhyped to a ridiculous level. They are nowhere near Australia or India.
 
Don't doctor pitches? On oneof the earliest sky sports podcasts athers admits to having spin friendly pitches for the 2013 ashes. Let's not forget the green seamer and tough batting conditions had when they toured Engkand in recent times . :smith
 
On topic though, England need to start winning more home tests considering that WTC points are at stake now. Can't do with multiple drawn series and shelling tests to the likes of west indies.
 
They shell home Tests but not home series, still unbeaten since Sri Lanka's 2014 tour.

thats case with almost all top sides tho

India hasnt since 2012 i believe. tho they rarely shell home Tests either.

Pak had a good period for longest of time and didnt shell tests or series' till Mickey arthur reign.

NZ similar.

Aussies have lost to SA regularly but been fine otherwise (before ban)

so Englands home record no matter how you slice and dice it; is pretty bad
 
thats case with almost all top sides tho

India hasnt since 2012 i believe. tho they rarely shell home Tests either.

Pak had a good period for longest of time and didnt shell tests or series' till Mickey arthur reign.

NZ similar.

Aussies have lost to SA regularly but been fine otherwise (before ban)

so Englands home record no matter how you slice and dice it; is pretty bad

NZ lost at home to SA twice and Australia in recent years.
 
thats case with almost all top sides tho

India hasnt since 2012 i believe. tho they rarely shell home Tests either.

Pak had a good period for longest of time and didnt shell tests or series' till Mickey arthur reign.

NZ similar.

Aussies have lost to SA regularly but been fine otherwise (before ban)

so Englands home record no matter how you slice and dice it; is pretty bad

Between the 2012 England whitewash (which basically signaled the start of the UAE era) and the end of the unbeaten run against Sri Lanka in 2017, Pakistan lost home Tests to South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and West Indies.

The first Test of the 2015 series vs England was also an unofficial loss.

In between, the 2014 series vs Australia was the only dominant series win.
 
Don't doctor pitches? On oneof the earliest sky sports podcasts athers admits to having spin friendly pitches for the 2013 ashes. Let's not forget the green seamer and tough batting conditions had when they toured Engkand in recent times . :smith

Thirteen years after he retired from cricket, Athers somehow has influence on pitches? When he works for a TV company?

Green seamers in England, the home of seam? How surprising.....
 
Thirteen years after he retired from cricket, Athers somehow has influence on pitches? When he works for a TV company?

Green seamers in England, the home of seam? How surprising.....

Spin friendly pitches for the Ashes in 2013, green pitch at Lord's when India toured next year. All a coincidence I'm sure.
 
Spin friendly pitches for the Ashes in 2013, green pitch at Lord's when India toured next year. All a coincidence I'm sure.

Yes, the ECB must have used their weather changing machines to cause a heatwave during/in the run up to the 2013 Ashes and abnormally excessive rainfall during the India series.
 
Spin friendly pitches for the Ashes in 2013, green pitch at Lord's when India toured next year. All a coincidence I'm sure.

You’ve rumbled us, we sneaky English villains with our twirling moustaches and sinister laughter can make it rain to grow the grass or we can make it sunny to kill the grass depending on which team tours. That big “media centre” at Lord’s is actually a weather machine which can summon low and high pressure systems off the Gulf Stream.

I just wish the ECB would get their machine fixed as it seems to be on the blink. April and May were lovely, then it hosed down all June.
 
You’ve rumbled us, we sneaky English villains with our twirling moustaches and sinister laughter can make it rain to grow the grass or we can make it sunny to kill the grass depending on which team tours. That big “media centre” at Lord’s is actually a weather machine which can summon low and high pressure systems off the Gulf Stream.

I just wish the ECB would get their machine fixed as it seems to be on the blink. April and May were lovely, then it hosed down all June.

Your captain Cook, at the time, and Jimmy defended the pitches and considered it "home" advantage. Tell them that:)
 
Your captain Cook, at the time, and Jimmy defended the pitches and considered it "home" advantage. Tell them that:)

Tell then about the weather? They are Britons like me so they already know what I mean. Anderson is the world’s best seamer but he doesn’t get seaming wickets the whole time. It’s impossible here. A given month could bucket down or be drenched in sunshine depending what comes off the Atlantic.
 
The pitches are generally quite sporting. Unlike most other countries they dont doctor them to favour the home team too much.

Obviously this game was played in empty stands but the crowds are genuinley the most sporting in cricket also.

The combination of sporting pitches, sporting home crowds and the number of immigrants that come to support the away team is why a test series in England is the pinnacle of test cricket.

They might shell a few tests here and there but overall whenever a test is played in England, cricket is the winner.

Good post.
 
England may not be the best team, but they have more options than any side in terms of the number of seamers, spinners and batters to choose from.

Woakes and Curran may possibly not play a single test this summer
 
Tell then about the weather? They are Britons like me so they already know what I mean. Anderson is the world’s best seamer but he doesn’t get seaming wickets the whole time. It’s impossible here. A given month could bucket down or be drenched in sunshine depending what comes off the Atlantic.

Weather conditions have certainly hampered England's pitch preparations as it does everywhere but that doesn't mean that pitches are not prepared with a specific objective in mind. Last 3 years have seen seaming pitches in tests whereas miraculously they turn into flat highways for ODI's and back to seamers when the tests begin.
 
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