Best Side Of July 2007-Oct 2008

[Gunner786]

This period will determine the best sides in the world and where they stand.
The icc rankings may say aussies at the top and india down on 5-6 or south africa down at 5 but they dont tell the full story and this period will see some big series and tours.

I think the top 3 spot in tests will be fought by australia, pakistan and england with pakistans pace attack being crucial to their challenge.

I think pakistan will edge out the other 2 and be the best side in this period.(well least till their bowlers get injured anyway).

Some will say i only chose pakistan cos i am biased but i truly think with all the changes being made like captaincy, new talent and everything and every effort being made by our academy to help the fast bowlers pakistan can really step it up now and surely will.
much also depends on shoaib but he has recently been saying how he wants to get fit and everything and i think this time he is here to stay

 

[BigCrickNan]

Shoaib shouldn't even be playing because he's on drugs, plus he's 32 so for him to keep fit with his action and bowl 90mph is even harder than it ever has been.

I think it will be between England and Australia, possibly India. I think England could become the best due to Australia's bowling attack being severely weakened due to the retirement of McGrath and Warne, and also Langer has retired.

I think it will depend on the Australian bowling line-up, if it isn't filled with enough quality then they could struggle slightly.

 

[evertonfan]

Shoaib Akhtar? Isn't he that drug abusing hasbeen? If Pakistan recall him then they have no chance of challenging top or even second spot.

Gambino saying Pakistan will be the best side? Never seen that before...

Straight toss up between England and Australia imo. We posses the most in form batting line-ups in my view.

 

[Gunner786]

Shoaib Akhtar? Isn't he that drug abusing hasbeen? If Pakistan recall him then they have no chance of challenging top or even second spot.

Gambino saying Pakistan will be the best side? Never seen that before...

Straight toss up between England and Australia imo. We posses the most in form batting line-ups in my view.

so scoring 500 against west indies makes you have the best batting side?

 

[evertonfan]

You find me one post where i've said we have the best batting side. :

 

[Gunner786]

Straight toss up between England and Australia imo. We posses the most in form batting line-ups in my view.

you are implying here that england and australia have the best batting line ups

 

[evertonfan]

No i'm not. I'm saying they are the most IN FORM batting line-ups. Again I suggest you read my posts properly which you seem utterly incapable of doing.

 

[Deleted member 11215]

the 3 teams competing:
Australia - Strong batting and bowling but many retirements coming and several have already occured. Also the fact there not playing many tests may cause them to lose the no.1 spot.
England - can bat can bowl. all depends on how they turn up on the day.
Sri Lanka - great batting side with a good keeper batsman, quite young side aswell. Also any side with malinga in has to be a plus.

overall it looks like its mainly between england and sri lanka because of the small amount of games that australia are playing.

 

[angryangy]

Australia won't win as many games. Mind you, they've won 20 out of 26 Tests in the last 2 years. No. 2 have won 11 out of 30, while No. 3 have won 9 from 24. While Australia have ready replacements for Warne and Langer, the gap left by McGrath is the most difficult to fill. It should make contests very interesting as fast bowlers duel for a permanent spot.

To be honest, I don't think Shoaib's drug issues adversely affect Pakistan's chances if he isn't banned; an ageing Shoaib will still take wickets as he is known to, but that nevertheless comes with the chief negative factors of Shoaib Akhtar; a player who has missed more Tests in the last five years than he has played. Pakistan probably have enough batsmen and enough bowlers to be threatening in the Test arena and certainly on some lifeless home surfaces they rarely offer better than a draw for weaker sides, but how strong is their mettle under real fire?

England have got the guns, but have they got the numbers? The injury plague feels like it has hardly relented with Flintoff set to go under the knife again and Simon Jones looking very uncertain. A year offers plenty of time for recoveries, though. What might not be healing is England's ODI team. More than anyone else, England need to look at T20 specialists for September. They have the advantage of nationwide experience in the twenty over format and an ODI team that has scoring problems. If they call up just a couple of the right men, not only will they improve their chances in one format, but also it might be a beacon for the ODI team. Another question is will Mahmood and Plunkett increase or decrease in value when batsmen are looking for bigger runs?

 

[Gunner786]

anderson i feel can still get as good as 2003 if not better
englands bowling at home is as good as any but when playing away from like and on dead pitches england do usually get hammered while harmison goes into daydreaming

 

[angryangy]

overall it looks like its mainly between england and sri lanka because of the small amount of games that australia are playing.

Between July 07 and October 08? There will probably be at least 14 Tests out of these tours. I know England's calendar is stacked, but 14 Tests is not a short season.

2007
Nov Home vs Sri Lanka
Dec-Jan Home vs India
2008
Feb-Mar Tour of Pakistan
Apr-May Tour of West Indies
Jun-Jul Home v Ban

 

[BigCrickNan]

anderson i feel can still get as good as 2003 if not better
englands bowling at home is as good as any but when playing away from like and on dead pitches england do usually get hammered while harmison goes into daydreaming

Hammered? Yes we got taken to the cleaners in Australia but that would of happened to every other team. On the previous tour of India we restricted them below 400 in the whole series. In Pakistan we did alright on dead pitches and would've might of had a better result in the first test had it not been for Shabbir Ahmed's dodgy action.

In South Africa before that our bowling won the series despite poor batting minus Strauss (remember Hoggard's 7-60?). Before that we destroyed the West Indies. With our bowling. Harmison with his huge hauls and Hoggard with a hattrick, and Flintoff also picked up his first 5-fer. This points to the fact we don't get hammered in our bowling overseas.

 

[Gunner786]

Hammered? Yes we got taken to the cleaners in Australia but that would of happened to every other team. On the previous tour of India we restricted them below 400 in the whole series. In Pakistan we did alright on dead pitches and would've might of had a better result in the first test had it not been for Shabbir Ahmed's dodgy action.

In South Africa before that our bowling won the series despite poor batting minus Strauss (remember Hoggard's 7-60?). Before that we destroyed the West Indies. With our bowling. Harmison with his huge hauls and Hoggard with a hattrick, and Flintoff also picked up his first 5-fer. This points to the fact we don't get hammered in our bowling overseas.

i also said dead pitches

 

[BigCrickNan]

i also said dead pitches

I mentioned that somewhere...for example this result: http://uk.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2005-06/IND_IN_PAK/SCORECARDS/IND_PAK_T1_13-17JAN2006.html how could you bowl well on that sort of pitch?

 

[manee]

-England don't have pace bowlers who can bowl two good balls in an over and their batting is reliant on KP. HOWEVER, Sidebottom is a promising prospect as is Hoggard, who I rate highly. Their batsman play good knocks. Cook is in the form of his (or anyone else's) life and Strauss is very good on his day which is never far either. Vaughan is elegance but inconsistant but a good captain (too many buts).

-India don't have a set batting order or team, are heavily reliant on Kumble to get wickets, have no quick quick bowlers and their three best batsman are going to retire soon all at 34 currently.

-Pakistan have just lost their captain and with him half their batting. Their pace bowling department is poor bar Asif and their batting is full of underperformers who underperform for entire careers, see: Imran Farhat.

-West Indies just aren't very good and nor are Bangladesh, putting them there twice won't get them more votes or any.

-New Zealand simply don't have the stars whatsoever. They have no great batsman, no Laras, no KPs, no Tendulkars, no Pontings, no MoYos. Their bowling is heavily mediocre too with Bond and Vettori carrying it.

-Sri Lanka have Malinga who produces stupidly amazing spells like that against New Zealand in the Super Eights (I think), but with an ageing Jayasuriya, Vaas and Murali, I can see this team falling rather than rising.

-South Africa have always been up there and will remain so. They produce underappreciated (rather than mediocre, who recieve similar credit) stars. Kallis averages 55 in Tests with the bat, Smith is a fantastic batsman. Ntini brings a unique angle, is quick and seems to be a left handed batsmans nightmare.

Australia to be top with South Africa in their shadow, with England remaining strong at home and the rest fighting to avoid last place even (as much as it hurts me) India.

I mentioned that somewhere...for example this result: http://uk.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2005-06/IND_IN_PAK/SCORECARDS/IND_PAK_T1_13-17JAN2006.html how could you bowl well on that sort of pitch?

Well batted Virender