Ajmal Shahzad

Well, thoughts?

Seems to have really kicked on since I saw him play at Scarborough a few years back. Skiddy, quick action with the ability to get a bit of reverse swing - in some ways reminiscent of Simon Jones. Also hope he keeps the fuller length - as England bowlers like Finn and Broad have a habit of banging it in for too short.

Also can hold a bat (though we didn't see it today).

It's good to know we have some back up in the seam bowling department. If Jimmy doesn't pull up any trees in the Bangles' second innings, maybe Shahzad should get a run in the side against Pakistan to see if he might be able to cut the mustard in Oz.

I don't want to get too excited, but I think he might be the greatest bowler of this decade, perhaps of all time.

vilkrang wrote:I don't want to get too excited, but I think he might be the greatest bowler of this decade, perhaps of all time.

Yeah, a deadly cricketing mixture of Sydney Barnes, Frank Tyson and Daley Thompson that looks like Ian Holloway and speaks with a Yorkshire accent. Possibly will do for bowling what WG Grace did for beards.

Hehe in all seriousness though I did like the look of him today, I only saw the spell where he took 3 wickets so can't comment on how he was when he started. Others have said that he looked TAYPOC, which suggests that either he is going to be sporadic, hot one minute and shite the next, or hopefully that he was just nervous in his opening spell.

If England properly nurture and develop both Finn and Shahzad and if Broad keeps improving and gets a bit more consistency into his game then England could have quite a formidable bowling attack and a decent tail to boot. Big 'ifs' though...

Going back to my suggestion that Shahzad should get a run in the side - at least Jimmy can then go back to Lancashire and sort his game out.

He does have a shocking FC average though...

Aye, so did Simon Jones though

Similar to Simon Jones though when he got in the side. Infact Jones average might have been worse.

Will the same curse hit Shahzad?


A good few years, high prospect, then BAM!, he's injury prone from the neck down.

JKLever wrote:Similar to Simon Jones though when he got in the side. Infact Jones average might have been worse.

Jones was up over 40.

Shazza's @ 34.

To put in in context, Jimmy "leader of the attack" Anderson's Test average is over 34 (FC @ 28)

Bresnan's FC wickets @ 32.

Stuart Broad @ 30.

Swanny @ almost 33.

Harmison's got it down to 28, but he was definitely first picked for England with his FC average comfortably over 30.

Flintoff @ 31.

So, really, Shahzad's fairly unimpressive record isn't particularly out of place - all our bowlers of recent times have been selected for their attributes rather than their numbers. Which is probably a good thing or we'd have Jon Lewis opening the attack.

DJ_Smerk wrote: Will the same curse hit Shahzad?


A good few years, high prospect, then BAM!, he's injury prone from the neck down.

Wasn't "BAM". He was always injury prone, from even before England selected him.

looking for the video of his spell...

Perhaps one has to reserve judgement about performances against the Bangles.

Gary 111 wrote:Aye, so did Simon Jones though

Can he make the ball inswing with mints?

Dello wrote:

JKLever wrote:Similar to Simon Jones though when he got in the side. Infact Jones average might have been worse.

Jones was up over 40.

Shazza's @ 34.

To put in in context, Jimmy "leader of the attack" Anderson's Test average is over 34 (FC @ 28)

Bresnan's FC wickets @ 32.

Stuart Broad @ 30.

Swanny @ almost 33.

So, really, Shahzad's fairly unimpressive record isn't particularly out of place - all our bowlers of recent times have been selected for their attributes rather than their numbers. Which is probably a good thing or we'd have Jon Lewis opening the attack.

So does all this give Engulund supporters a warm and fuzzy feeling about the Ashes tour?

I reckon Swanny is gonna get well over-bowled in Oz (or at least I hope) if they go in with just 4 frontline bowlers . . . sure he'll pick up Punter a few times, but the over he'll have to bowl could really lessen any threat he poses . . . .

Aye, I think Pup's and Haddit's dancing feet may enjoy Swanny's over-use. Not sure about Ollie but.

skully wrote:Aye, I think Pup's and Haddit's dancing feet may enjoy Swanny's over-use. Not sure about Ollie but.

He'll be dumped for Smiffy by Perth . . . .

Huzzah.

PlanetPakistan wrote:looking for the video of his spell...

This website is usually good for cricket highlights:

http://cricket-online.tv/

Shahzad's good spell was right towards the end of the day's play.

skully wrote:

Gary 111 wrote:Aye, so did Simon Jones though

Can he make the ball inswing with mints?

No, I believe he uses a mixture of chewing gum, liquorice allsorts and monster munch.

great work gary

Thanks

the last wicket was a brilliant ball...

Still seems very raw, a bit like Saj Mahmood

PlanetPakistan wrote:the last wicket was a brilliant ball...

Still seems very raw, a bit like Saj Mahmood

Please don't say such things...