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By Vithushan Ehantharajah (@Vitu_E)

Congratulations to Pakistan for a very well executed series win over England. A lot is made about Pakistan’s new-found unity and fellowship in the absence of disruptive egos, but it’s important we, as cricket fans, pay homage to the abundance of talent in the Islamic state.

It’s not your typical conveyor belt – it’s a rickety old thing that has needed replacing for a while now. People have come in and had a look at it; its jagged cogs still turning – if you can call it turning – as black smoke seeps out from its antiquated engine.

Many have tried reinforcing the sides to stop things falling off. Some, foolishly, have tried to get in and amongst the inner mechanism, thinking they could effectively refurbish it all from the inside out (the severed fingers should have been a warning). Others merely stood by, oiling it every now and again, occasionally glancing at the “Nose applicator” wondering if they should turn it down to 4 inches, just because it was closer than the “common sense” dial.

If this was a real factory it would have been shut down and burnt to the ground years ago – mainly because of all the severed limbs and, you know, production of humans stuff.

Pakistan’s first win in Dubai was a result of their bamboozlement of England, twice, and a patient display with the bat. Their second was evidence of something we haven’t seen of a Pakistan side in a long, long time – grit.

England were ahead on points, winning three of the four rounds. Pakistan batted first and scored under 500 in two innings – England were more than half way there after just one, but at no point during the fourth innings did Pakistan think they couldn’t win. You could see it in Mohammed Hafeez’s eyes as he took the new ball, once he brushed his hair to one side. England’s middle order imploded, but it was Misbah Ul-Haq who applied the pressure in the right places, and at the right time.

Rotating Ajmal, Rehman and the floppy-haired Hafeez is one thing, but his “blanking” of Junaid Khan worked a treat. Khan is a talented bowler and he struggled to find his length in the first innings (his 4.12 was the highest economy rate of the match), but it would have been easy for Misbah to throw him the ball for the sake of it. 

Misbah may not be the most flamboyant of characters, but he is capable of injecting a bit of flamboyancy into his captaincy at the right time. Completely ignoring one of your opening bowlers, when defending 144 – albeit on that Abu Dhabi pitch - is flamboyant. As is using the word flamboyant three times in one paragraph.

Pakistan may choose to recall Cheema in place of Khan, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Mohsin Khan and Misbah decide to let a winning side be.

England are fighting for more than pride as they return to Dubai for the third and final Test. As India have shown, there is a difference between being the best team in the world, and being the number one ranked team in the world. Luckily, it’s only their batting that needs to be addressed – specifically Eoin Morgan.

Sure, Pietersen and Bell look all at sea, while Strauss looks uglier than an out of form Graeme Smith in drag, but Morgan seems to be battling with some serious demons. For England’s best player of spin, it’s harrowing to see him flounder on the back-foot, anchored down by his own self-doubt. The issue for the Irishman is that he’s too unorthodox to recoil and rely on his technique to get him out of trouble, especially when his footwork is so laboured.

While Bopara should (but probably won’t) come in to replace Morgan, the Irishman may be saved from the chop should Bell not recover from a stomach bug. Otherwise, it’s as you were, with the form of the revitalised Monty Panesar now giving England more variety in an ever-impressing bowling unit.

Pakistan want to win 3-0 and cement their place – on Twitter, at least - as the best side in Asia. England want to win a Test away from home to show they’re not India in disguise.

One thing is for sure, there is still a lot to play for in this Third test! Other than the series itself, of course...

*Join us on Test Match Sofa from 5.45am GMT on Friday for live ball-by-ball coverage of the third Test between Pakistan and England in Dubai.

@maxbjourno

England’s chastened Desert Rats arrive in Abu Dhabi hoping a change of scenery improves their fortunes against an abnormally disciplined Pakistan.

Last week’s ten-wicket humiliation should have blown away any cobwebs for Team England after five months away from the Test arena, with their trademark meticulous planning ruthlessly unpicked by Misbah-ul-Haq and his level-headed side in Dubai.

Strangely, England’s strongest suit from the first Test is also its greatest source of selection speculation, fuelled further this morning by news that Chris Tremlett has a dodgy back again and could be ruled out of the bowling unit for the duration.

Tremlett: Broken. Again.

The next oversized cab off the rank is notionally Steven Finn, but don’t rule out the honest toil of Graeme Onions or even the outrageous idea of playing Monty Panesar as a second spinner.

As enthusiastic as his drinks carrying was, several of us at Sofa Towers would have preferred Monty in the XI for the first Test and the Abu Dhabi wicket looks, if anything, even more conducive to the slow stuff.

But England’s recent strength has lain partly in selection rigidity – there was not a single Test debutant in 2011 – and they are hell-bent on sticking to the tried and tested, often to the point of obduracy.

The batting in Dubai was a complete disaster, bar Matt Prior’s unbeaten 70 in the first innings and Jonathan Trott’s dogged 49 in the second.

An attack of Umar Gul, Aizaz Cheema, Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman wasn’t outstanding so much as disciplined and attuned to Test match cricket - which is more than can be said for Andrew Strauss’ undignified hack across the line to Ajmal first time round.

Saeed Ajmal celebrates while Billy Bowden seizes the opportunity of a walk-on part.

Strauss will walk out to open with Alastair Cook for the hundredth time this week and, with little or no competition for an opening berth, the vultures won’t be circling for a little while yet despite his increasingly desperate need for runs.

Equally culpable were the infuriatingly irresponsible Kevin 'it’s the way I play' Pietersen and Ian Bell - not alone in being all at sea against Ajmal, who was afforded too much time and respect to find his rhythm.

All is not lost, however, with England adept at bouncing back (see the forgotten calamity in the Perth Test last winter).

Indeed, most of the battle seems to be mental for England’s top order as a sub-continental complex stretches back long before this squad’s time.

They may also face for the first time the young left-armer, Junaid Khan, who could replace Cheema, while Umar Akmal has been touted as a possible replacement for Asad Shafiq, should the hosts feel inclined.

Last summer’s drubbing of India and the destruction of Australia before that are now no more than sepia-tinged memories for the supposed best side in the world.

Test cricket isn’t supposed to be that easy, and Andy Flower’s charges will seek to prove their worth and capitalise on their rude awakening to the challenges that await them in this series and beyond.

*Join us on Test Match Sofa from 5.45am GMT tomorrow for live ball-by-ball coverage of the second Test between Pakistan and England in Abu Dhabi.

The desert dust is beginning to settle on an extraordinary test match in Dubai. For England fans, the excruciating agony of reliving Kevin Pieterson’s brainless buffoonery may provoke sudden ululations and rending of clothing, but it should not obscure a truly astounding achievement by Misbah ul Haq’s Pakistan team.

A lot of column inches have been, and will continue to be consumed by fruitless analysis of how England’s hitherto in form top order contrived to subside so spectacularly. Indeed not since the 1st world war have they found themselves 7 wickets down for under 95 in both innings of a test match. And this on a good wicket.

But brain freezes happen. Good sides collapse. Australia succumbed for 118 on the first day of the Ashes in 1997 but recovered sufficiently to inflict X rated GBH on England thereafter.

The far more remarkable feature of the “Drubbing of Dubai” was the consistent discipline and ruthless efficiency with which the hosts performed throughout the three days. Only Umar Gul and Adnan Akmal were dismissed playing attacking shots and it took a series of jaffas from Anderson, Swann and Broad in particular along with the intervention of the now sectionable Billy Bowden to dispense with the rest.

In the field the bowlers bowled tight lines and searching lengths (except when Gul briefly and successfully experimented with leg side filth as a cunning ruse for dislodging Strauss and Cook in the 2nd innings). Ajmal quite rightly took the plaudits for his ten-fer, but Cheema, Gul, Hafeez and particularly Rehman never let up. Of course England should have displayed far more patience. At Brisbane in 2010 it was much the same on that first day. This time, the adrenalin, the chatter in the build up, the frequent media references to their number one status all contributed to an uncharacteristic posturing at the crease which contrasted hugely with their opponents flinty, and undemonstrative approach. But all that notwithstanding it still took a fabulous all round effort from Pakistan to win the match so decisively.

This Pakistan side contains just two players who played in England only 18 months ago. Most of the team are over 30 and are led by a man whose own attritional approach to batting and captaining is as far removed from prevailing current trends in international cricket as it’s possible to get. But it is surely Misbah together with the recently modified selection panel, who should take the greatest credit for fashioning this brutal victory.

Much may be made of England’s deficiencies on the sub continent, but it was not usually with the bat that they so spectacularly failed. It was their repeated inability to take wickets that proved their downfall in the 2000s. Yet Misbah and his team have bowled England out twice for under 200.

The fact of Pakistan’s achievement may also indicate the strong likelihood of its repetition. After all, Pakistani cricket was out on its feet 18 months ago. Five years of power struggles, corruption, terrorist attacks, public sulks, life bans, life bans being overturned, seven captains and virtual pariah status not to mention its alarming proximity to a war zone should have been enough to ensure on pitch failure at the very least for the rootless and nomadic players. But instead they give the strong impression of having developed, in double quick time, a cohesive, skillful, and ultra-disciplined outfit. It took 11 years from the MacLaurin report, hundreds of millions of pounds, numerous coaches and imported expertise as well as root and branch restructuring for England to achieve the same.

And this is why the rest of the cricketing world needs to watch out. While India with its huge investment via the IPL and TV rights not to mention billion inhabitants, roll over and die with tireless regularity, Pakistan’s players display a steely resolve born of pride and the determination to resurrect a nation’s respect.

While Chris Gayle argues with his board, while Sri Lanka invests in a revolving door for their head coaches and while the BCCI does the opposite with its ageing and under-performing star batsmen, Pakistan of all teams have dispensed with in-fighting and arbitrary selection. They have finally coalesced behind a shared and noble goal.

And when a team is motivated not by money, or ego or statistical boasts but instead is pursuing a higher purpose it can achieve great things. England, and the rest of the world had better watch out.

@maxbjourno

The English county fixtures for the 2012 season were revealed yesterday, hot on the heels of David Morgan’s initial review of the county structure.

Well, they were announced a day earlier by one county and a local newspaper actually, whilst still under a '’strict embargo’’ which was in place presumably to heighten the tension, or at least make the relevant authorities feel more important about their annual groundbreaking announcement.

So, where do we start?

We start on the April 5th, actually, for the earliest ever kick-off to a Championship season.

Meanwhile, the England national side will be in the middle of a Test match against Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka.

Make of that what you will, and there are one or two further oddities instantly spotted in the schedule ahead of the next load of changes in 2014.

Division Two new boys Yorkshire, for instance, are without a single home Championship fixture between the start of June and the middle of August.

That would be nearly all of what is technically known as 'summer', then, and it's not as if there aren't games to be played as the Tykes face FIVE consecutive Championship away matches in that time.

Newly-promoted Surrey will have played five of their eight home Championship games before May is over, leaving any slow-starting members wondering what the unrelenting floodlights, pyjamas and pop music of the One Day and Twenty20 scene is about come June.

The domestic One Day final, once a focal-point of the season, is hidden away at the fag-end of the campaign on September 15th again.

How the 2012 final will capture the public imagination more than Surrey’s triumph over Somerset at a less than half-full Lord’s in the cold and rain of this autumn is anyone’s guess.

While we’re talking finals, the perenially successful Twenty20 finals day is on August 25th at the SWALEC Stadium. That’s Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens to cricket fans like you and I.

Glamorgan - or the Welsh Dragons, as they now like to be known of a weekend - clearly won a bid to host the event fair and square, but is playing a celebrated finals day in Wales the best way of encouraging people from every cricketing corner through the turnstiles?

With Morgan’s plans being fleshed out in the New Year, there is an opportunity for scheduling issues in the county game to be sorted.

For this to happen, though, decision-makers need to remove the dollar signs from their eyes and refocus on what is good for the long-term future of the game.

Not easy, particularly when it is undeniable that money from satellite TV has gone a long way to improving domestic and international cricket in England.

Keeping Sky happy is seemingly a necessary evil at the moment, as we saw with the laughably scheduled ‘contractual obligation T20 series’ against the West Indies recently.

Chasing the pot of gold also led to a ridiculous number of domestic Twenty20 games last summer that became meaningless for the average punter, just because more matches were naively presumed to equal more paying customers.

It was overkill, people became bored and didn’t turn up, and we are happily down to a more breathable ten group games for 2012.

A word of warning, though, as Morgan’s initial report recommends increasing the figure to 14 in 2014 to leave us facing the same potential for saturation as before.

Aside from the international calendar to negotiate, there is next summer the added distraction of the European Football Championships involving England and the small matter of the Olympics and Paralympics coming to Britain, both inevitably dominating media coverage and the public interest.

It’s not easy to get scheduling right and it’s impossible to please every county, but it would be so much better if some ostensibly simple steps were taken to improve the accessibility and, therefore, the profitability of domestic cricket.

For what it’s worth, I believe the 2012 fixture list is an overall improvement on the season just gone.

Just brace yourselves for Morgan’s recommendations in January.

@maxbjourno

So they have got ‘ticker’ after all.

Australia recovered from a harrowing Cape Town Test to level the two-match contest – I refuse to call it a series – in Johannesburg.

Their sterling fifth day effort with the bat at the Wanderers brought a fitting climax to a disgracefully short, yet thoroughly gripping contest.

Who would have thought that Mitchell Johnson, so wildly incompetent with the ball, would emerge a hero with the bat?

Although that’s hardly relevant, and surviving on occasional glories of the past in the hope that lightning strikes twice should not be reason enough for the new Australian selectors to spare him.

Ricky Ponting defied the vultures circling over his Test career with a dogged 62 in the fourth innings, probably securing his place for the start of the Aussie summer.

But enough of the negatives, as one tourist enjoyed a superb debut in Johannesburg.

18-year-old Pat Cummins was ultimately forced to lead the attack with Shane Watson hamstrung, Peter Siddle innocuous and Johnson being Johnson.

Cummins looked jaded in spells – he’s played next to no First Class cricket in his life – but soldiered on to take 6/79 in the second innings before coolly knocking off the winnings runs on Monday as a terrified, white-as-a-sheet number eleven, Nathan Lyon, thanked his God of choice from the balcony.

His future could be a bright one if they look after him properly, as England start to reap the long-term rewards of singling out Steve Finn for special treatment during his breakthrough year.

There were highlights for South Africa, too, despite passing up the opportunity of a first home ‘series’ win over the Aussies since readmission.

Hashim Amla notched a classy century in each match while Graeme Smith’s unbeaten ton in Cape Town led his side to victory in an unbelievable first Test.

As with the tourists, it was a bowler on debut who shone brightest.

Man of The Series Vernon Philander bowled with accuracy and an intelligence that belied his lack of Test experience, while clearly showing why his First Class average is below 20.

He, along with Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, will make for exciting viewing in English conditions next summer.

So we move on from Sofa Towers and, after a timely break to recharge the batteries - or hibernate, in Hendo’s case – we should be back for England’s tour of the Emirates to take on Pakistan in January.

In the meantime we’ll be Tweeting, blogging and the like to keep things ticking over before our glorious rebirth in 2012.

Thanks for listening, we'll see you all then.

Max.