Pakistan tour thoughts...

[Johno]

well, now it has finally finished, it has been dissapointing.

our batting has been well under par with no one really performing on a regular basis. our bowling though has shown signs of improvement and we could have done with simon jones to get some extra swing, but oh well.

in the one dayers we performed how i thought. we were never going to win this, but did make us look good by getting it to 3-2.

my intial thoughts were that we would never beat pakistan with the conditions, and i was right.

will have to work hard in india to get a decent result out there.

[Batch]

Possibly also a tour too far following the physical and emotional effort put in against the Aussies? They have had a bit of time to get over that though.

[mattboyslim]

True, on all counts.  A sub-par performance, but to pick up from Ashes Euphoria and suceed on one of the most arduos tours would've been a big effort.  Losing the bowler best suited to the conditions didn't help, and ultimately the lack of experience amongst all the batsmen in the subcontinenet contributed to the all to familiar batting collapses of recent years.  A shame, but who'll rmeeber it when in the 2005 cricket annuls an ashes victory is recorded.

[Nomoreheroes]

Hmmmm ? A good team would have still come away with a tied test series. England beat Australia on our home patch with favourable conditions. England are not the number 1 team in the world. I will only believe that they are a good side if they retain the Ashes in Australia next year.

NMH

[reeves4england]

We're playing them next year?! Why did I not know this.

Just out of interest, who do you think IS the best team NMH?

[mattboyslim]

We have India in the new year, feb I think?

Australia still the best IMHO, they've been good for longer, and despite an ageing side look good.  Bringing in new faces recently like Hodge and Hussey, and Jacques for the next game shows good depth.  India and Pakistan are good to, so are South Africa IMHO.  The Asian sides have good home records and struggle away.  I'd put Autrali at the top with Us and some of those I've mentioned in a group which all have the chance to beat anyone on their day, but lack the consistency.

[Spencer_White]

The Aussie depth is all in the batting. I rekon they could put 25 batsmen into any other test team.

But the bowling could turn into a weakness if Warne and McGrath dont make the series next november. I suspect they will.

[larwood]

I will only believe that they are a good side if they retain the Ashes in Australia next year.

I still think we are a good side even if we don't hold on to the Ashes next year,prior to this series we had gone on a impressive winning streak and i don't think losing one series turns us into an average side over night.Like most teams it is easier for us to perform at home,the thing the Aussies have done well is winning away consistently too.But they have had the huge advantage of having two of the best bowlers ever playing for them.The bastards :x  
Personally i don't care too much about being number one.Winning the Ashes back after18 years was all i hoped we would do.And if someone had told me we would regain them back i would have laughed at them,the idea seemed so incredible.But we did it so i have faith in the team and the management that they will learn from the mistakes made in Pakistan and become a better team for having lost.....hopefully :-))(   .

[STFC Village]

We're playing them next year?! Why did I not know this.

The Ashes in Australia are next winter, so late 2006/early 2007. All things going to plan, i'll be there for the majority, hopefully catching a couple of days play with the Barmy Army

[DMR]

Me too, year out travelling coincides nicely with the Ashes (funny that)

You can buy me a pin of your beloved Fosters  

[STFC Village]

You can buy me a pin of your beloved Fosters  

I think i could stretch to a pin's worth of the Amber Nectar

[Nomoreheroes]

I think that the Aussies are still the best in the world, but the gulf between them at their peak and the rest of the world has diminished. Pakistan (and India) have always been strong on their own patch but range from average to mediocre away from home. A good side to me is someone who can take on the Pakistanis at home and not lose.

The problem I see with England at the moment is that we have a number of Bothams/Gowers - Batsmen who, on their day, and in favourable conditions, can dominate and hit the ball to all parts of the ground. What we don't have is a couple of Steve Waugh/Viv Richards types - People who can grind if they have to, tonk if they have to, but most importantly stay around for days on end no matter what the conditions.

NMH

We're playing them next year?! Why did I not know this.

Just out of interest, who do you think IS the best team NMH?

[Spencer_White]

As for India, they put up a good show in Australia a couple of years ago.

The Aussies dont drink Fosters. Believe it or not, they dont really like it!  :shock:

[STFC Village]

The Aussies dont drink Fosters. Believe it or not, they dont really like it!  :shock:

XXXX?

[Spencer_White]

Not really. VB is number one down under by quite margin.

And I can see why, I love it!  

Still cant seem to get it in supermarkets yet though.