Pakistan v England - 2nd ODI

Discussion thread for today's ODI. Can England go 2-0 up to ensure at least a draw from this series, or will Pakistan make it all square?

Yep they will.

My concern is that if Cook fails who scores the runs? Apart from Boparas well played 50 no other batsmen made 20 runs, that is a big concern for me.

Fingers crossed we can win againt though, wonder how much damage Ajmaal will do today.

Hampo, at some point someone else will fire, this cannot continue. It is unlikely that all the batsmen will fail all of the time.

Based on the way this tour has gone Biltong I can't see any of them scoring. That said the Pakistan batting was poor as well so both sides have something in common.

well in that case you could argue the LEAST poor batting performance will win.

Be interesting to see how the Pakistani batsmen do today. Let's see if England's bowling attack can put in another decent shift. Hoping Trott might start to knock the ball around. KP is due a decent innings.

Maybe a bit of low confidence will actually help KP. He will be more circumspect in his batting or he would not care and play himself into some form with a no care attitude.

It should be a cracking game today, hopefully bresnan will be back in the bowling unit, the batting doesnt need much tweaking and KP looked a better opener than CK.

Pakistan will probably come back hard at england, if they win the toss and bat first a chase in the second innings could be a problem especially if the ball starts to move under the lights.

Anyone watching it? Be nice to see what the pitch is like. Hoping for a belter of a track.

I hear rumour that there might be some spin today, in which case - bat first!

Offstump, agree with you that KP is the right move as an opener. Yes he is out of form, yes he is low on confidence but lets face it, if he clicks the innings will be off to a flier!

Who would you bring Bresnan in for? Anderson?

Anderson should be out for Bresnan. Anderson didn't bowl poorly, just there was nothing in the track for swing. I think Bresnan and Broad will get something out of the wicket. Line and length.

Hope KP get's off to a flier.

Probably Anderson, unless we are bowling second when the conditions might help swing.

Finn with 4 wickets in the last match isnt going to get dropped, Swann and Broad kept it very tight so the only option is Anderson, plus bresnan strengthens the batting lower down the order.

Looks like the same team as the last one, cook wins the toss and bats.

I think that is the only viable change, yes.

Correct me if I'm wrong but does the team not have to be named prior to the toss taking place?

Good stuff, thanks for the update offstump, my bloody office have banned ESPNCricinfo as of like yesterday so I am somewhat in the dark! Relying on you chaps to keep me englightened.

England unchanged

Pakistan have gone for a bit of a knee-jerk reaction with three changes. Rehman is in for Shoiaib Malik who looked out of sorts with the bat in the first game. Asad Shafiq makes way for Azhar Ali (seems harsh on Shafiq) and Cheema comes in for Riaz (so Pakistan have in effect six bowlers inc. Hafeez, seems a bit unnecessary to me).

Me too FOF.

Someone do TMS for me

AAAAAAAAAAAARGH england bat first

Fists of Fury wrote:Good stuff, thanks for the update offstump, my bloody office have banned ESPNCricinfo as of like yesterday so I am somewhat in the dark! Relying on you chaps to keep me englightened.

Try this link, maybe they don't know about this one.
http://www.supersport.com/cricket/live(a).aspx?id=531632

Hope KP can get a confidence restoring score in this one, as I fear that Cook might not be so successful this time.

It's very difficult to retrieve yourself from a slump when you're deep in one, but we (and more importantly, they) have to remember that they are world class batsmen. Nothing changes that, class is permanent and all that.

It's a funny game, cricket. One slice of luck leads to one big score leads to a purple patch. Things can turn around very quickly in this sport.

Correct Fists, the team has to be handed in before the toss, which I've always thought was a little strange for ODI cricket as the toss can be the root of the win.

I guess it places some emphasis and importance on the toss, this way, leading to a need for a team to be fully adaptable.

Otherwise, the toss wouldn't have quite the same importance.

Score predictions for this match guys?

England to win, but I think it'll be alot closer than Monday.

Given England's batting performances so far this winter (including the performance of the majority of the batsman in the first ODI), I would be happy with anything over 250. At least it will give the bowlers something to work with.

According to Cricinfo Gul is getting the ball to nip around a fair bit.

Pakistan by 4 wickets is (again) my prediction.

Gul starts with a maiden, every ball on the spot and Cook plays it watchfully.

Which Akmal is behind the stumps?

Or more precisely are any of the Akmals decent behind the stumps!

England will get 224/6.

No wait, 223/7, i forgot about the run out in the last over.

Cheema hasn't had a great start, dot ball then a wide and then 5 wides.

You Flip idiot cheema

http://anonymouse.org/cgi-bin/anon-www.cgi/http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan-v-england-2012/engine/current/match/531632.html

try that fists

And another! Dear me.

Oh, balls another caught and bowled in the last over.

222/8

Adnan Akmal's a pretty good keeper Gregers. Umar Akmal is a batsman who's been given the gloves, while Kamran Akmal is just a poor keeper.

Cheema's bowling very wayward at the moment.

England finally get a run off the bat, and the score is 8-0.

Got to love the Akmals. They literally DRS every decision they are given out for!! Bless them

Boycott suggesting he would give Gul a grilling. Something tells me since the Suarez incident everyone wants to jump on board. Step up Boycs.

Didn't they use a DRS in the first game where the bowler was saying no?

England 269/6

Extras top scoring so far. Who is this prolific youngster that England have discovered??

Cook struggling a bit to come to grips with Gul at the moment, but it's a reasonable enough start for England. Suggest par score is a little lower today.

England seem to be going well. 19 from 30.

Sedate start, by the looks of it. Don't mind that though, all about building a platform in ODI's in these conditions.

picking up a bit both peitersen and cook beginning to score freely

48-0 9 overs, kp and cook both hit two fours and gul/hafeez look rattled.