Pakistan vs. Australia-1st ODI

[mal]

AU
1/95
9/122
168
HADDIN 40[52] brilliant again
WATTO 40[47] killed the quicks, but the spinners slowed him down
HOPES 48*[46] wonderful player, dunno why people criticise him
AFRIDI 6/38[10]
ajMAL 2/19[10]

Early days for the real deal allrounder
BUT
HOPES has rubber stamped his allrounder status
WATTO should open b4 the spinners get him and not bowl
ROY at this stage should not even be in the QLD team on form

AFRIDI 6/38 what the .....

ajMAL is a big 'name' player
Never seen him b4 bowled amazingly well
Bowls the MALsra superbly


PAK QUICKS .....15.5 OVERS 1/101 [wicket of Hilfenhaus]
PAK SPINNERS...21.0 OVERS 8/66

Nows its our spinners turn
CLARKE/ROY/HAURITZ .....
Dont think so

Even PAKIFRAUDMANTLESTAN cant lose this one, surely .

[Gozu]

One of the worst performances from us against spin I have ever seen. Afridi and Ajmal destroyed us and it looked like men against boys.

[Gozu]

Australia 168

Hopes 48* (46)
Watson 40 (47)
Haddin 40 (52)

Afridi 6/38
Ajmal 2/19


Pakistan 6/171

Akmal 48 (62)

Hopes 2/22 (8)
Hilfenhaus 2/42

Pakistan won by 4 wickets.

MOTM: Shahid Afridi

Pakistan lead the series 1-0

[The Jack]

Got home from footy training last night, and joy of all joys, the cricket's on! How quickly my joy turned to despair at the most inept display of batting I have ever seen from an Australian side. How can the country that gave the world the greatest leg-spinner of all time be so completely clueless when batting against spin bowling? We're starting to realize how all other countries felt when trying to play the genius that is Warne! Except we're getting f****d over by nobodies like Botha and Ajmal (who??!!).

Ajmal's performance last night would have to be the most impressive I've seen from a bloke that I was seeing for the first time! His control was superb. Absolutely no idea we had, and Afridi (one of my favourite cricketers outside of Australia) profited from his constant pressure. I haven't said this much in the past, but we're lucky we've got James Hopes. His results of late have been excellent in both disciplines.

Anyway, if we're going to lose to anyone, it might as well be to a side captained by a Redback! Thought he could have brought Shoaib Malik on to bowl his offies after Ajmal and Afridi had finished their 10, but it didn't matter in the end. Probably good for cricket in Pakistan to have a win after what happened recently.

So, I guess the question is, what is Coach Nielsen going to do about this problem that we have with spin bowling, of any quality? If anything can be done at all that is!

[hearts on fire]

Australia should get Shane Warne to bowl to them in the nets, if they can practice against the master, they can beat anyone.

[cyclops]

hughes needs to be picked for all forms of the game.

[spell_check]

Bring back Boof - he knows how to play spin. Can't be often that Afridi gets MOTM for his bowling, although it is useful enough.