Flower ready to make changes
Andy Flower will be prepared to change England's losing team to arrest the world Test number one's fall from grace in the Middle East.
The England coach has called on the tourists to show skill and courage, and prove they can after all conquer the demons of spinning Asian pitches - starting by avoiding a series whitewash against Pakistan in Dubai next week.
"We expect to learn and learn quickly - and that is a big part of our job, of my job," said Flower, who spoke of England's bowling and first-innings competence but could only lament what followed.
He added: "I thought in the first innings some of our batsmen did an excellent job.
"(Jonathan) Trott and (Alastair) Cook were outstanding in that partnership of 145. (Stuart) Broad was outstanding; he played an aggressive, courageous knock to give us the lead - that was a match-turning performance from him both with ball and bat.
"But yes, (there were) familiar mistakes. We need our batsmen to learn - very obviously."
Flower has found himself delivering an all-too-familiar refrain so far this winter, picking over England defeats - against India in limited-overs cricket and now after losing the first two Tests against Pakistan here to concede this three-match series in under seven days.
There was inevitably more of the same as he was called to account for the hapless batting which resulted in England's lowest ever Test total against Pakistan, and another embarrassing early finish for the second successive match.
In difficult conditions, tailor-made for the talents of Pakistan's spin bowlers, England's hopes of making a relatively modest target of 145 to level the series foundered as they were all out for 72.
A spectacular sequence of single-figure dismissals dominated the scorebook as England were undone in less than 40 overs, and two-and-a-half hours, when it had seemed they began with a better than even chance of victory.
Comment 9 - 28 of 28
I fing it shocking how much England play and how many facilities they have. The simple basic elementry mistake has been they are playing spinners off the bacj foot too much instead of playing fully forward. Even when they go forward they only go half forward. Simple but true. The Enhlish batsmen are out in thier head before they even go into bat. It is time peterson was dropped and we brought a more responsile and reliable batsman in.These boys need to play for England with their hearts and not try to look flash and look good. Play the ball not the line of the ball. Bring back Boycott and co.
Regards
Mr Nasim Awan, Bedford UK
The only trolls on here are those who can see any sustained future for the current lot. We get constantly brainwashed by the 'team' theme but the signs that some players have been living on borrowed time has been present for some time.
We have deluded ourselves in respect of recent victories against teams who are in the throes of rebuilding. The Aussies team we beat last year has to be the worst team ever fielded by them and were easy pickings, the India team has been in decline for 18m and this has culminated in a vast rethink process.On the other hand we have stood still and regarded this team as one for eternity.
The party line is that you should have believe that the community spirit will pull the guys through no matter what form they may be in. My view is that if they are not good enough they should be discarded and make way for new faces, and certainly not have the slate wiped off each time they show their inabilities.
The top 6 batsmen with a total yield of less than 200 runs in two full tests is a disgrace and anyone who thinks that this is acceptable is indeed a ........troll!
I honestly think this board are full of trolls, yes lets drop 3 batsmen and bring in 3 untried youngsters to dig us out of this, it as got to be the way forward, I bet they will come in get centuries and our 1st innings on Friday will be 700+ for 5 declared, and all the trolls can sit down and say well done England. Do they let you lot have sharp implements where your live?
About the only part that makes sense is dropping Pietersen, but that is something that should have been done 2 yrs ago not now, and not as a result here.
And as for the dropping Cook ........well that is priceless. Yes good idea let's drop 1 of the 2 batsmen that actually scored runs and looked like he could play the bowling, and the batsman that is the highest scorer in the series....... speechless
Ready to make changes, all right............ Rest Bell and Pietersen.....these are aggressive players in seance of test cricket almost striking 60% in resent times and my favorite in England team. Series is allready lost......these players will get chance to rebuild their game and get known to conditions for one day and t20 games coming......just a thought
I just want to add that in my opinion Pakistan are not a strong team but are clearly too strong for us. They have had retirements and bans of superb players, the likes of Afridi not wanting to play for his country, the unsavoury events of spot-fixing, sacking of captains, etc, etc. Yet the team carried on, often playing guys who would not have made the team otherwise, but have emerged as a solid team with young players coming to the fore. And good luck to them.
We can go as far back as the Stanford debacle, the capitulations in the Windies, victories over poor Aussies team, and sticking with the same old faces we now find ourselves in a very changing situation and not having the strength of experienced younger players.
I am not very encouraged by our future prospects, for too long we have gloated on our own rhetoric and look a tiresome lot.
Flower HAS to make changes, for him to rest on this gutless batting line up, and for them to fail again which is highly probable, places him in a poor position as he would be seen as having little authority.
Personally, I would start with Cook who, apart from being the most boring player in world cricket, has no idea when to put bat to ball. Constantly he hangs around for limitless overs dibbing and dabbing and the thought of him acceding to captaincy is unbearable.
Typically, KP has taken the brunt of media criticism but if there is one player who can improvise and re-emerge it is him. Not that I think his heart is fully on his job, his body language says it all for me.
Bell has to go simply because he is weak and cannot be relied on. He has been given so many reprieves, more than any player I can recall, but he does not have the inner strength to combal pressure situations. Flambouyant he may be, trustworthy he is not.Too many times he rolls over when he is in a key position, too many times and for far too long.
Morgan started to show promise before he had to withdraw last year and his lack of batting time shows clearly. I think he has really been labelled as a limited overs player and I doubt we will see him in an England test team again.
Our best scenario is to get through the next test without too much embarrassment then wield the axe. The Aussies have been prepared to grind their way through a big number of players to attempt to regenerate a solid squad, we have to do the same. To keep relying on this fickle and repetitive lot is just folly.
Dr Graham Smith, thanks for that it really helps a lot. What are you a doctor of, stupidity?
I think he's refering to his underpants and the prospect of having to get a proper job. Using the royal 'we' doesn't mean that he has discovered enlightenment just that he has become aware of a problem, rather belatedly. I know he is a good guy but also a lucky guy up till now, doing sweet FA proving to some, the depth of his reasoning.
People of all nations cheat at sport. Olympians, footballers, rugby players, cyclists etc etc so making Pakistan a scapegoat for your critical and racist remarks do not by any stretch of the imagination tell the full story
Colin your an idiot. Andy Flower is from Zimbabwe not South Africa. Get your facts right before you make accusations
Give credit where it is due, do not kick a man when he is down !!!!!
Syed Kazmi
Usman, are you delirious? What exactly does your No9 comment mean then? You have a cheating mentality as a nation and it's reknown the world over. End of.
Usman have you asked them then? If by some chance you did and they admitted it to a random bloke off the street (unless you're from a tabloid paper) it's probably because they were too embarassed about their batting and were trying to find any old excuse for their collapse.
@Bolton Ballshifters.I didnt say anything against English nation.Ok.I said English players Played the match for their bookmakers.So shut your mouth against my nation.If dont believe then ask them whether they did it or not?
Usman 9. Just because Pakistan are a nation of cheats doesn't mean everyone else is.
Dizzy 8, It's only recently that the English wickets have started to be prepared to suit an English team. In the past the Counties have prepared them to suit their own bowlers. DOH!!
The fact is if england continue to play average pakistani (no spinning to speak of) spin except for Ajmal on basis of dubai performances then they'll continue to play as though the lobbing down of handgrenades is taking place..what do they pay some of the backroom staff for to get their minds right?!!!
Bradman said of the Aussie Side in 1956 when Laker Skittled them...A TEST MATCH IS NOT THE PLACE TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY SPIN BOWLING !!!!!!!!!!!!
Flower is WELL NAMED...Flower Power and South African Power Rule English Cricket...He is FRIGHTENED TO DROP KP...The Fact He has,nt a clue how to play Spin Bowling...SEE HIS AVERAGES...must be the BEST Clue that he needs to be replaced
This English side is not at all strong. They cannot be compared with a team comprising of Boycott & Edrich or Barber followed by Cowdrey, Barrington, Dexter, Graveney, D'Oliveira and so on. Statham and Trueman were so good that they kept Coldwell and Flavell out of the team forever. What about Titmus and Allen, the two off-spinners ?. I feel sorry for the not so good players.
Khalid Naseem
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