The Cricket World Cup fixtures continue to come at us thick and fast this week as we get into the thick of the competition. The weekend gets started with Pakistan v Bangladesh on Friday morning with a 10.30am start time taking us through the afternoon. You can watch the play live on Sky Sports with expert commentary and analysis. Here are our top Pakistan v Bangladesh betting tips.
As well as an exciting match you can also enjoy a bet on the outcome thanks to the work done by bookmakers. There are dozens of markets offered on this clash, including match winner, top batsman, top bowler, highest opening partnership and highest first 15 overs. Many of the most popular options will remain live throughout the course of the contest thanks to in-play betting, meaning a punt is as exciting in the final few balls as it was before the coin toss.
Pakistan Sneak Past Afghanistan
Pakistan enter this match on a great run of form and have won each of their last three outings. They were beaten by India in a grudge match on 16 June, ending on the wrong side of an 89-run result but the team had no problems bouncing back to form. They got back to winning ways when rallying to beat South Africa by 49 runs next time out and used the momentum that came with that result to defeat New Zealand by six wickets on 26 June.
A match with the whipping boys of the tournament, Afghanistan, came at exactly the right time, allowing Pakistan to complete the hat-trick and drive their World Cup campaign back on track. A confidence boosting victory was expected with a big score put up on the board, but it didn’t go according to plan. Pakistan got the win, but only just, sneaking the desired result by a margin of just three wickets. The final scoreboard that day read 230-7 against 227-9. A little too close for comfort, but that failed to take the shine off the final result.
A real blockbuster played out at Headingley, the victors came through a late scare by the skin of their teeth, going back to the dressing room knowing they had dodged a bullet. Had they lost that match their World Cup dreams would’ve been left in tatters, along with their reputation in the sport. Was it an off day for Pakistan or did the underdogs grow tired of losing and throw in a big performance, showing just what they are capable of? A little bit of both, perhaps. Afghanistan came out of the match with credit and it’s obvious they are closing the gap all the time.
Far More Convincing
Bangladesh were far more convincing when beating Afghanistan than Friday’s opponents and they waltzed to a stunning 62 runs victory without suffering too much drama along the way. The scoreboard that day read 262-7 against a poor 200 all out. Not a lot can be read into wins over Afghanistan under normal circumstances as Bangladesh did exactly what was expected of them, but the fact Pakistan struggled against the same teams means it’s something we should keep in mind when running the rule over this weekend’s clash.
That win handed their hopes of playing semi-final cricket a serious boost and it was a win enjoyed by the players. They were red hot favourites against the tournament’s weakest side, but the squad didn’t let that dampen their celebrations. Bangladesh haven’t had things as good as they would’ve hoped in England and took a while to get started here, so they look determined to enjoy the highlights when they come their way. We are into the crucial stage of the World Cup and there are no longer any easy games. Credit must be given to the team for grabbing the result.
Speaking to the press at the conclusion of that match, captain Shakib Al Hasan said it was a performance that gave him great pleasure and the win was an important one for the team. The leader enjoyed his own effort with the bat in hand but was shrewd enough to label the win a team effort, ensuring there was confidence in the ranks. That will be important here as Bangladesh must hit the ground running if they are to have any chance of upsetting Pakistan. A fast start is needed.
What the Traders Say
Bookmakers have had their say on how this match should play out and traders have thrown the weight of their support behind Pakistan. All major firms have them as favourites to get the win, but Ladbrokes are offering up a market best price of 1/2. If you do fancy Pakistan, we’d say bet with Ladbrokes as the majority of the competition are stuck around the 4/9 mark. This game will be tight, so don’t take less of a price.
Fancy taking a shot at the underdogs? A win for Bangladesh wouldn’t rate as the biggest upset of the competition so far and there’s sure to be bits and pieces of attention on a side who has every chance of winning with a nice price attached. Those happy to take a risk and have their cash on Bangladesh will find 13/8 at Ladbrokes. There’s enough value in that one to play as a super single.
There are plenty of special markets available if you’d prefer to avoid picking a match winner. Pakistan to record the highest first 15 overs is 4/6 at William Hill. That bet will be paid out as a winner, regardless of if they claim the match or not, as long as the make the better start. That play will give you a quickfire interest.
