Australia v Pakistan, 2nd Test, SCG, January 3-7

The long weekend is Friday, Saturday, Sunday, so the match starts on the Sunday. Stoopid. Test cricketers only a few years ago used to have to back up from the MCG Test on January 1 at the SCG. The players today are pampered.

Any changes for Aus?

And will Pakistan's SOS to Younis Khan be responded to?

Aye Zog. Farkin weird that they've blown off the Saturday start (can understand giving Friday a miss - hangovers and all that). May have been close to a sell-out.

Aus will go in with the same XI. Unless Drunky has a busted wrist.

I thought Younis was on the plane?

Hope the weather's fine. Qmyjr and myself are looking forward to a few nice days.

If Captain Sensible's wrist is broken, then Hughes to open, Watson to 3?

Don't know about Younis, I hadn't heard any updates.

Would seem that Con is pencilled in. I'd actually go with Fleas at 3 (keep the left/right combo at the top of the order). It's where he bats for the Dubbers (or maybe he even bats at 4).

Australia unchanged XII for this one. Drugs are bad expected to be 12th man again.

Zat wrote:The long weekend is Friday, Saturday, Sunday, so the match starts on the Sunday. Stoopid. Test cricketers only a few years ago used to have to back up from the MCG Test on January 1 at the SCG. The players today are pampered.

Yeah, any minute now they will bring back the rest day

Kaneria will come in. He loves Sydney.

Younis has to return, we only have two batsmen in the team at the moment in Moyo & Umar A. As for Rauf he can fark off what dog shite.

Rauf would have been a national hero had he caught Watson.


Misbah needs to start converting down the order too.

taipan wrote:

Zat wrote:The long weekend is Friday, Saturday, Sunday, so the match starts on the Sunday. Stoopid. Test cricketers only a few years ago used to have to back up from the MCG Test on January 1 at the SCG. The players today are pampered.

Yeah, any minute now they will bring back the rest day

I completely agree with Zat...I find it bizarre that there is a 3 day break...the crowds and the TV audience will be down

The paksters might well have demanded extra time?

I think it's something to do with the players' collective agreement with the ICC. Softcocks.

A couple of years ago Cricket Australia decided to have a minimum of 3 days between back-to-back tests.

That's fair enough, but they need to be flexible when it results in Test Matches starting on a Sunday (especially with no public holiday to follow).

In 1994/5 they started the Melbourne Test on Christmas Eve and had a rest day on Christmas Day.

It's not ideal, but they'll have to give some serious thought to doing it next year because the Sydney Test is due to start on a Monday. Mind you, it's an Ashes summer next year so the Tests will probably sell out no matter when you play them.

as far as I am concerned they could start Melb test on Xmas day.....even in the god afearin' USA they have basketball and pro football on xmas day

Seems the SOS to Younis is in some doubt thanks to PCB politics.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,26539140-5018870,00.html

Well it was mentioned a few days ago that if day night test cricket is introduced, a christmas day start is a possibility.

channel nein would love the test to be a day-nighter - would rate very well on xmas arvo and night..

i think just start it at 10.30 on xmas day - would still rate its socks off...doubt if the players would winge if santa left them an extra roll in their xmas stocking

I reckon Younis will play at Sydney and the Paksters are just creating a bit of mystery around it all. Expect it to be all hushed up only for him to be announced in the team on Sunday morning.

Henry wrote:I reckon Younis will play at Sydney and the Paksters are just creating a bit of mystery around it all. Expect it to be all hushed up only for him to be announced in the team on Sunday morning.

Pakistan - creating mystery


Whodathunkit.

I doubt there will be much quaking of boots in the Australian camp

horace wrote:I doubt there will be much quaking of boots in the Australian camp

The only camp thing around there is Mark Nicholas.

Well he's a mile better than Faisal Iqbal. If Pakistan can bat first, and the likes of Younis, Yousuf and Umar can get them to 400+, then Aus are in for a tough time against Kaneria.

Henry wrote:Well he's a mile better than Faisal Iqbal. If Pakistan can bat first, and the likes of Younis, Yousuf and Umar can get them to 400+, then Aus the spivs and spiv wannabes are in for a tough time against Kaneria.

fixed.

good

Kaneria is superior over all Spivs, Banjos, Dubbers, Wozzies and Tozzies.


Yes.