Incendiary Test action

The ‘Ring of Fire’ sparked into life yesterday with one of the most incendiary and eagerly anticipated matches on the cricket calendar. Fixtures between England and Pakistan have, over the last few years, been remembered for the controversies caused and antipathy generated between these bitter rivals.

Talk leading up to the three-test series has focused on keeping the peace and the eradication of cheating, rather than the strengths and weaknesses of each squad.

The Dubai Sports City’s Cricket Stadium is a state-of-the-art 25,000 seater facility that plays host to Pakistan’s opening ‘home’ tie against the team officially ranked as the best Test team in the world, England. It is known as the ‘Ring of Fire’ due to an innovative lighting system that will be visible during the day/night matches.

Pakistan has been forced to use the UAE for home ties following the attack by gunmen on the Sri Lanka team in Lahore in 2009. It was in April of that same year that the stadium at Dubai Sports City was opened when they were victorious over Australia, although they now enter the last year of that original agreement to play their matches in the UAE.

While this is not the first time that England has played in Dubai – they were involved in two T-20 matches in 2010 as a warm up to the World Cup – this is the first time they will have played a Test series. It is also the first time in 125 years that they will have played a test series on neutral soil.

Several members of the team will have some experience of competitive matches in the UAE as the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, that will host the second match of the series, has also been the venue for the traditional opening fixture of the English County Cricket season between the Champions for the previous year against the MCC, albeit with a pink ball trialed over the last two seasons. This $22 million facility, opened in 2004, will also witness the first two One-Day internationals between the sides.

While basing themselves at the ICC Headquarters in Dubai Sports City, England has played two warm-up games, winning both.
 
With soil imported from Pakistan, the wickets are abrasive and expected to encourage reverse-swing from 30 overs onwards.
 
The matches start at 10am local time meaning the first 10-15 overs with a new ball are expected to be the best opportunity for the fast bowlers to take wickets, as demonstrated by Stuart Broad who took 7 wickets in England’s opening fixture against an ICC Combined Associate and Affiliate XI. However, of concern will be the manner with which Irish left-arm spinner, George Dockrell, in as a mid-match replacement for the injured Hamid Hassan, added to Kevin Pieterson’s tally of dismissals against bowlers with similar actions.
 
Afghanistan’s spinner, Mohammad Nabi, ran through the English batting line-up in the second innings taking three wickets.
 
In their second match against a Pakistan Board XI early seam movement followed by controlled spin allowed the ball to dominate the bat. Talha took the early wickets of Strauss and Trott while Onions and Tremlett had the most success for England. However, it will be the eight wickets apiece for Yasir Shah and Monty Panesar that will trouble England the most.

Many believe that the wickets in the UAE produce less spin than those in Pakistan. However, the dominance of spinners in the warm-up games (and historically) has had England’s management pondering a departure from their favoured four-pronged bowling attack.
 
While Pakistan are entirely comfortable in fielding three spinners, England have only played Graeme Swann as they have risen to the top of the rankings, although the man himself favours the inclusion of Panesar.

The addition of Panesar would likely mean having to remove a batsman in a series where runs will be crucial. Only the first three batsmen, Strauss, Cook and Trott, have shown any form. The most likely man to lose his place would be Eoin Morgan who is considered to be England’s best player of spin.

Pakistan’s match-turning off-spinner, Saeed Ajmal, has been teasing England about his ‘teesra’ (the third one) – a new delivery added to his off-break and doosra.

England are believed by many to have the best bowling attack in the world. They have a large squad of ‘quicks’ who exploit their pace and height while exerting control of the new and old balls to great effect. 

But, with the conditions favouring Pakistan the teams are considered to be evenly matched.  Off the pitch England would, until recently, have tried to claim the moral high-ground.  However, the recent revelation that Mervyn Westfield, the Essex cricketer, has admitted spot-fixing in a match against Durham, means the two sides are more evenly balanced than perhaps was first considered.

The imprisonment of Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif actually appears to have worked in Pakistan’s favour.  Under new Captain, Misbah Ul-Haq, they have found form and won their last four Test series, most notably against Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

For fans of either team travelling from Bahrain wanting to go and watch, there is thought to be little difficulty in securing tickets on the day due to the size of the stadia involved.

Started yesterday – Saturday: 1st Test, Dubai
January 25 - 29: 2nd Test, Abu Dhabi
February 3 - 7: 3rd Test, Dubai
February 13: 1st ODI, Abu Dhabi
February 15: 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi
February 18: 3rd ODI, Dubai
February 21: 4th ODI, Dubai
February 23:1st Twenty20, Dubai
February 25: 2nd T20, Dubai
February 27: 3rd T20, Dubai