I would simply go along to the ground on the day - will not be sold out or anywhere near! If you want confirmation, buy tickets locally on arrival in UAE.
Was definitely empty for the Tests. T20s were a lot fuller but you could still rock up on the day and get a very cheap ticket on the gate. By chance I needed to go to Abu Dhabi for a business meeting (Sunday morning, aaarrrgh), so decided to cut my losses and get there a bit early to catch the T20 in Dubai on the Saturday evening. Commandeered a local taxi driver to do the 90 minute desert crossing between the two cities (and back), who ended up watching the match rather than wait around in his car. Stadium was still empty 30 mins before the start but suddenly transformed itself into an enormous family BBQ for the Pakistani population of Dubai, so was jammed to the rafters by the start. Fantastic atmosphere with a spicy aroma, KP was imperious, a pre-wobble Finn magnificent, local hero Afridi feted loudly (but failed) - nothing better than an England win abroad.
Middle order looking sketchy as hell. Can they really pick Jos Buttler in the form he's in? Can Stokes learn how to play spin at all? O dear me
Yep for those that haven't seen it - Bell (53) and Taylor (45) both retired to allow Stokes (0), Buttler (8) and Bairstow (0) all to get out.
It is possible that they will leave Buttler out for the first game but it would probably mean dropping Bairstow down to 7 and there is an argument that this would almost be a punishment for Buttler's failings.
Agreed on both counts. Of course there is an argument to include Patel as well as Ali and Rashid in which case you could leave out both Buttler and Stokes especially as he won't do anything on those wickets that Anderson, Broad and Finn can't.
In which case the team could look like:
Cook Ali Root Bell Taylor Bairstow Patel Rashid Broad Finn Anderson
Would take something extraordinary for Stokes to be dropped
Again agreed but they have to get some balance to the team and Stokes simply won't bowl many overs unless they only go in with just Anderson and Broad as quickies.
I don't think it will have escaped the selectors that Stokes is actually averaging less than 15 in his last 10 innings for England. Compare that to Taylor's scores of 49, 43, 101, 41, 12 and 45* this year and they really shouldn't have to think twice about this.
Comments
https://tickets4pk.com/
Finn's figures 14-7-16-4
Cook
Ali
Root
Bell
Bairstow
Stokes
Buttler
Rashid
Broad
Finn
Anderson
Taylor will push for Bairstow/Buttler's place also leaving Hales, Wood, Plunkett and Patel out too.
Bell 32*
Taylor 25*
It is possible that they will leave Buttler out for the first game but it would probably mean dropping Bairstow down to 7 and there is an argument that this would almost be a punishment for Buttler's failings.
One last chance I suspect for Buttler.
132-6
None of them want it!
In which case the team could look like:
Cook
Ali
Root
Bell
Taylor
Bairstow
Patel
Rashid
Broad
Finn
Anderson
I don't think it will have escaped the selectors that Stokes is actually averaging less than 15 in his last 10 innings for England. Compare that to Taylor's scores of 49, 43, 101, 41, 12 and 45* this year and they really shouldn't have to think twice about this.
141-7
Cricinfo don't have the ability to show more than one innings for a batsman so are just adding the runs onto their first score!
198-9
Buttler 31 not out to add to the 8 he got in his first innings