Re: 3rd Test - Eng vs Pak - Leeds, 4th-8th Aug.
^Unfortunately Yes. Don't worry, he won't ever play a test for Pakistan after this test.
Re: 3rd Test - Eng vs Pak - Leeds, 4th-8th Aug.
10.00am England have left out Jon Lewis, so he is now hot footing it down the motorway to join his county team-mates at Cheltenham, while Pakistan will open with Taufeeq Umar and Salman Butt, while Shahid Nazir is for Shahid Afridi. Abdul Razzaq has been dropped while Imran Farhat misses out through injury.
Re: 3rd Test - Eng vs Pak - Leeds, 4th-8th Aug.
Don't think this will ever happen until someone else who is good enough can be found.
Re: 3rd Test - Eng vs Pak - Leeds, 4th-8th Aug.
England won the toss and will bat.
Re: 3rd Test - Eng vs Pak - Leeds, 4th-8th Aug.
What has Sami done to warrant his selection whileRazzaq hasnt? Razzaq has taken almost equal number of wickets and he can score too.
I am beginning to think there is an illicit relationship going on here 
Re: 3rd Test - Eng vs Pak - Leeds, 4th-8th Aug.
***10.35am* Andrew Strauss correctly called heads and has chosen to bat on what looks like a pretty decent track. Cloudy, overcast conditions here at Headingley which could assist Pakistan's opening bowlers but England are in bullish, confident form: their batsmen have scored six hundreds in the first two Tests.**
Re: 3rd Test - Eng vs Pak - Leeds, 4th-8th Aug.
lol...by dropping Razzaq...Pakistan have entered into a more of a sorry state...what a bad decision!
Re: 3rd Test - Eng vs Pak - Leeds, 4th-8th Aug.
I can't believe that Sami has been retained and Razzaq dropped. This stinks.
Re: 3rd Test - Eng vs Pak - Leeds, 4th-8th Aug.
Pakistan team
Taufeeq Umar,
Salman Butt,
Younis Khan,
Faisal Iqbal,
Inzamam-ul-Haq,
Mohammad Yousuf,
Kamran Akmal,
Mohammad Sami,
Shahid Nazir,
Umar Gul,
Danish Kaneria
Re: 3rd Test - Eng vs Pak - Leeds, 4th-8th Aug.
Man...man...it appears to be that Razzaq has to make a place for Salman Butt...
Re: 3rd Test - Eng vs Pak - Leeds, 4th-8th Aug.
Maybe a backing of Inzi and Woolmer to keep Sami.
Re: 3rd Test - Eng vs Pak - Leeds, 4th-8th Aug.
Razzaq has been taking a few wickets consistently, and he alongwith Kamran Akmal were the strength of our lower middle order (unlike AFridi). We should not have dropped Razzaq. He could have been in the team purely because of his batting :(
Re: 3rd Test - Eng vs Pak - Leeds, 4th-8th Aug.
Definetely - correct Razak would have been more useful with his bowling and lower order batting compared to Butt - who may not score much.
Re: 3rd Test - Eng vs Pak - Leeds, 4th-8th Aug.
Think of it this way, is Razzaq's batting+bowling better tha Mohd. Sami's batting and bowling:
Definitely.
Is Razzaq's bowling more threatening than Sami's despite lacking pace
?
Definitel.
Then why sami and not Razzaq.
Well, on the other side of the coin, it will give Sami some confidence that he wasn't dropped even after poor performance, and he knows that with Asif and Shoaib coming back in the 4th test, this might be his last chance. So MAY BE, he'll do something special today.
Re: 3rd Test - Eng vs Pak - Leeds, 4th-8th Aug.
Well, on the other side of the coin, it will give Sami some confidence that he wasn't dropped even after poor performance, and he knows that with Asif and Shoaib coming back in the 4th test, this might be his last chance. So MAY BE, he'll do something special today.
LOL, Like your optimism. He is more likely to score 50 in bowling averages than with his batting. :D
Re: 3rd Test - Eng vs Pak - Leeds, 4th-8th Aug.
Make it unlimited poor performances. Well I have no hope but lets see.
Re: 3rd Test - Eng vs Pak - Leeds, 4th-8th Aug.
Headignley pitch; we needed bowlers with swing and variety like Razzaq. Not bowlers with no swing and no variety.
Oh I forgot. Sami DOES have variety. He sprays the ball on BOTH sides of the wicket.
Re: 3rd Test - Eng vs Pak - Leeds, 4th-8th Aug.
^^ Agree with you. Everybody (Inzimam included) has been saying that while the pitch may not be as bouncy, it supports swing bowling, and Razzaq is much better equipped to exploit those conditions than Sami.
Re: 3rd Test - Eng vs Pak - Leeds, 4th-8th Aug.
Mohammad Sami to Strauss, *FOUR. *
Re: 3rd Test - Eng vs Pak - Leeds, 4th-8th Aug.
Well, on the other side of the coin, it will give Sami some confidence that he wasn't dropped even after poor performance, and he knows that with Asif and Shoaib coming back in the 4th test, this might be his last chance. So MAY BE, he'll do something special today.
Yes possibly - but don't think it will make any difference.