England vs Pakistan - Test Series

Next Tuesday sees the start of a three match Test series between England & Pakistan in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It's the first time the sides have met since a plot by ex-captain Salman Butt & fast bowlers Mohammad Asif & Mohammad Amir to bowl deliberate no balls for financial rewards nearly 18 months ago.

(Test matches to be played in beautiful surroundings, but how full will the stadiums be?) 

The 1st & 3rd Tests are played in Dubai at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium with the 2nd hosted in the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi. Both grounds have held only two Test matches each; one in 2010 (Pakistan vs South Africa) & the other in 2011 (Pakistan vs Sri Lanka). Three of the Test matches ended in draws & only one result was possible when Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by nine wickets in Dubai. A total of 4,868 runs were scored with 110 wickets taken (at an average of 44 runs per wicket) so both sides are going to have to work extremely hard to take 20 wickets & force a result.

England are the number one ranked side in the Test ranking after comprehensively beating India last summer 4-0. But away from home in the southern hemisphere will prove a sterner task for the side. The touring squad was as expected but they have lost Tim Bresnan to injury, therefore the debate for Andy Flower is whether they stick with the tried & tested attack of three seamers & one spinner or play the 2nd spinner in Monty Panesar.

Pakistan have regrouped as a team after all the scandals & are a highly competitive side under the leadership of Misah-ul-Haq. Pakistan easily won their test series in Bangladash 2-0 with openers Mohammad Hafeez & Taufeeq Umar hitting hundreds & Younis Kahn 200 not out in the first Test. And in their last home series (well new home) they came out on top against Sri Lanka 1-0 in the three match series.

(Who will come out on top in the head-to-head battle between Graeme Swann & Saeed Ajmal?)

All in all we are anticipating a tight affair with the bat dominating the ball. The fact that 20 wickets will need to be taken to win a match means an intriguing duel, between the two outstanding spinners, Graeme Swann & Saeed Ajmal with the winner likely to give his side the edge. We expect Swann to win the contest & with the steer weigh of runs tabled by a strong English batting line-up...England will win the series but not without a drawn match or two.

(The outstanding Alastair Cook is likely to be raising his bat in celebration throughout the series)

In terms of individual players markets we can't ignore the 7/2 available on Alastair Cook being Top England batsman. He had an outstanding 2011 starting with the end of the Ashes tour & continuing throughout the English summer where he scored 927 runs in 11 innings at an average of 84.27. He has carried his form into the warm up matches with scores of 133 & 76. The fact he opens the batting means he'll have the maximum time to compile his runs as the batsmen down the order can only sit & wait as he undoubtedly cashes in.

Selections:
England to win the series at 6/5 (Blue Square/Stan James)
England to win the series 1-0 at 9/2 (Bet365 & Skybet)
Alastair Cook being Top England Batsman at 7/2 (various)