Staying Number One - England vs Pakistan

Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad provide the Lower order batting needed.

So England are the best test side in the world and with that comes the pressure of now staying best test side in the world. England will now have every team wanting to knock them of the top, none more so than this series with Pakistan.

You only have to look at the England squad to see why England are the best side in the world with only Monty Panesar coming in and Ravi Bopara taking Paul Collingwood’s place it's the same side that toured down under last winter.


So how will England fair this series? Playing in a new venue with drop in wickets won't be easy against a very good Pakistan attack. England needs to start this series fast, we have the best opening batsman in world cricket right now in Alastair Cook and I feel he will again be key in the series. Next you only have to go down the order and see that every single batsman can make a score. What England have been missing in years gone by is a lower middle order who can get runs, But this has been subsided with the likes of Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann who can hold their own, I think that ever player might be able to notch up a test ton, given the chance (Well maybe not Monty ;).England now find them self's in the same position as Australia when they where the best side in the world, they had a settle side tour after the Ashes and became the best in the world. England now have that so should enjoy it and also learn from what Australia didn't, Australia were not prepared for what was to come after all their superstars retired and are now finding it hard to get back to the force they once were. I think they are too good not to get there give it a couple of years and it will be England and Australia once more fighting over the number one spot in world cricket.

So do I think England will win the series V Pakistan, Yes it won't be easy but I think England's batting will be too much for them and I always back our bowlers...England are number one for a reason it’s now time for us to stay there for a long, long time.
Andy Burrows,

Alastair Cook - A key man for England on the UAE pitches

The United Arab Emirates’ pitches have traditionally in their shot test career, been a batsman’s paradise mirage in the desert, Remember Ab De Villiers scored 248 last season in a rampant fashion. High first innings totals causing short declarations in the third and fourth innings calls for the game to be won with a balance of scoring a lot of runs, and having the firepower in the bowling department to gain the advantage. It sounds very logical but as we have seen this week in Hobart, this is not always the case. Having the best balance between the two will win this series.

Despite losing the 3 of their top 5 players in the Test team to incarceration, Pakistan have vastly improved as a test team through players such as Younis Khan and Sajeed Ajmal. I think Pakistan has a solid bowling line-up to co-exist with their batting order but they just would seem one class under England who could only be matched by India and South Africa. Where Pakistan will miss out, is failing to match the batting firepower of batsman such as Alastair Cook and Jonathon Trott and bowlers such as James Anderson and Graeme Swann. As I see it, these four men will be the key for England to win the series 2-0 as predicted.

Pakistan with Aamer, Butt and Asif would create a very interesting series, just like the last time Pakistan toured England but England should be consistent and win the series.

Second Slip,