Cricket: Pakistan betting predictions, odds for ICC World Cup

Pakistan have been kept safe by bookmakers around the $13 mark to win the 2019 ICC World Cup in England and Wales.

And that is no surprise to our cricket experts at the World Gambling List, as they are the perennial dark horses in this type of tournament.

Their best is clearly good enough, and they have also struck top form in the shortest form of the game in recent years to ascend to the top of the ICC’s T20 rankings. Yet the 1992 world champions are also susceptible to failing against lower-rated opposition.

This assessment does not sit well with coach Mickey Arthur, who said on the Pakistan cricket board’s website: “Unpredictable … that’s a word that us as coaching staff hate. You read all the previews, they say Pakistan are going to be in the top four because of their unpredictability. I say, ‘No, Pakistan are going to be in the top four because of the work we’ve put in.'”

Pakistan have a classy yet still emerging top order of the batting line-up yet their bowlers were easily handled by England in a lead-up series they lost 4-0.

They made a few changes to their 15-man squad after that series, bringing in fresh fast bowlers Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Amir, along with middle-order batsman Asif Ali. That may well help provide more of a cutting edge to their attack, but we could not find a place for Pakistan in the semi-finals this time around.

The WGL has monitored the 10 teams competing and in the lead-up to the ODI World Cup starting on May 30, we will give our predictions about each team, as well as look at options in a few of the many betting markets available.

England and India head betting to win the 2019 ICC World Cup final at Lord’s on July 14, though five-time champions Australia are closing in with some impressive late form.

OTHER TEAMS:
Sri Lanka
Bangladesh
Afghanistan
West Indies
South Africa
India
New Zealand
Australia
England

ALSO READ:
ICC World Cup 2019 betting guide
ICC World Cup 2019 leading wicket-taker
Cricket betting sites
ICC World Cup 2019 leading run-scorer
ICC World Cup 2019 player of tournament

Pakistan’s World Cup draw

May 31: Windies v Pakistan, Trent Bridge, Nottingham
June 3: England v Pakistan, Trent Bridge, Nottingham
June 7: Pakistan v Sri Lanka, County Ground Bristol
June 12: Australia v Pakistan, County Ground Taunton
June 16: India v Pakistan, Old Trafford, Manchester
June 23: Pakistan v South Africa, Lord’s, London
June 26: New Zealand v Pakistan, Edgbaston, Birmingham
June 29: Pakistan v Afghanistan, Headingley, Leeds
July 5: Pakistan v Bangladesh, Lord’s, London (d/n)

Pakistan squad for the 2019 ICC World Cup

Coach: Mickey Arthur

Batsmen
Sarfaraz Ahmed (captain, wicketkeeper)
Babar Azam
Fakhar Zaman
Imam-ul-Haq
Haris Sohail
Asif Ali

Bowlers
Hasan Ali
Shaheen Afridi
Mohammad Hasnain
Wahab Riaz
Mohammad Amir

All-rounders

Imad Wasim
Mohammad Hafeez
Shadab Khan
Shoaib Malik

Leading wicket-taker predictions for Pakistan

Pakistan need one of their bowlers to have a standout tournament, and one who certainly has the ability to do that is young leggie Shadab Khan. He is a real wicket-taker and has overcome a bout of hepatitis C to make the tournament. Around $51 is available for him to be top wicket-taker overall but we don’t mind the $4.25 available about being the leading wicket-taker for his team. If spin comes to the fore then he is certainly in the frame to be Pakistan’s top man.

Leading run-scorer tips for Pakistan

Pakistan have a few genuine contenders to be the leading run scorer overall in the enormously talented Babar Azam ($17), Imam-ul-Haq ($34) and Fakhar Zaman ($26). They form the core of a powerful and classy top order, and all average above 50 in ODI internationals. Babar Azam has been likened to Indian superstar Virat Kohli, the outright favourite to be the most prolific batsman in this event. The trio are all class batsmen who can make big scores in quick time and then back it up. Definitely all worth a look with leading cricket bookmaker William Hill.

Pakistan prediction – Can the Falcons soar again?

The great enigma of world cricket. Pakistan have often threatened to be a dominant force but seldom delivered. Their match against India at Old Trafford on June 16 will be one for the ages. Pakistan have a new look about them and this generation of newish players may be about to become household names. They have improved their fitness and fielding and they did win the 2017 Champions Trophy tournament in England, so the venues hold no fears. Their lack of real punch in the middle order and strike bowling may be their downfall.

WGL prediction: Fifth. Pakistan were beaten a little too easily by England and also flopped in a warm-up match against Afghanistan. They have some real stars, especially in short-form cricket, and along with the West Indies can lay strong claim to being the real entertainers of the ODI World Cup. But they will look like world-beaters one day and flop the next. Expect them to roll India and fail against struggling Sri Lanka, or something along those lines.

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