The other imposter

So it's a few days now since the end of the last test. I doubt that the dust has settled yet in Multan, but then it probably never does. What a match. England currently seem incapable of playing a dull one. Everything was looking so good with Bell and Trescothick piling on the runs in that first innings, but then, as is England's wont, they let it slip. So they bounced back on the fourth day, when Inzaman and Salman Butt were building a lead which looked like it could become unassailable, but 198 was always going to be a decent total, albeit one which was makeable. It seemed though, that the lack of experience in the middle order finally let us down. Thorpe would have retired anyway by now, even if he hadn't been discarded before the ashes, but that's who was needed in such a situation. Not Collingwood. Oh dear.
Now I'm not the kind of person to call for people's heads after one defeat, but I was never much of a fan of Collingwood in the first place. Have England ever had a more inept number 4? I can't think of one. Hussain was a walking wicket for a couple of years before getting to Sri Lanka in 2000, but I think he batted at number 3, and he was a good captain, and he'd made runs in the past. Anyway, Collingwood batted at 7 at the Oval. What changed between then and last week? Nothing. He's not good enough to bat in the top six in a test. If proof of this were needed then it was provided by his dismissals. In the first innings, he edged a ball from arch trundler Shabbir which didn't deviate in the slightest and missed what was described as a straight one on TMS in the second. Anyway, now that Vaughan is fit(tish), and after Bell scored a few, there's no reason for him not to be sub again, which, quite frankly, seems to be his best role.
The other disappointment in the match was the bowling of England's spinners. It wasn't that great, was it? To have nearly won a test on the subcontinent with the spinners only taking two wickets between them is quite an achievement in itself. Giles bowled so well in Pakistan last time. Will he bounce back? He's made a habit of starting badly in the past few years, last summer and the summer before and in Bangladesh before that, so there's hope. I don't think there's much for England if he doesn't improve. It was quite depressing to see Shoaib Malik bowl. He's described as a part timer, but he spun the ball a lot more sharply then Giles or Udal. Then again, that might be because he's a chucker. Don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those who thinks Muralitharan chucks the ball, not for a moment. Malik's arm did look a bit crooked though, and I'm guessing that he was born with a straight one.
Anyway, as I think I've said before, I do get very excited when England win a test, but I can usually remain philosophical when they don't. In this instance, I haven't found it too difficult, partly because I quite like Pakistan. The only team I really hate to get beaten by is South Africa, for some reason. Probably because they have a habit of thanking God, like American sportsmen (and thank god they don't play cricket). Pakistanis sound like lovely people. I don't find it hard to feel happy for them.
Still, I wouldn't mind if their team got hammered in the next two tests. Odds are that they'll both be drawers, but England have bounced back before. Any complacency must have been expelled by that defeat. I'll be at my Dad's again tomorrow morning to watch. Life is sweet.