Pakistan v Sri Lanka preview, player tips & predictions
Rupert McIntosh
MATCH INFO
Pakistan v Sri Lanka
Venue: Bristol County Ground, Friday, June 7, 10.30am (British time)
Head to head odds: Pakistan $1.33; Sri Lanka $3.30
Last time they met: Pakistan 1-105 (20.2 overs) d Sri Lanka 103 (26.2 overs) in Sharjah, October 23, 2017.
Welcome to our Pakistan vs Sri Lanka prediction article ahead of Friday’s clash at Bristol County Ground. We will present our best bets, tips and give you a full preview of this important ICC World Cup 2019 match.
Pakistan has been installed favourite by leading online betting site WilliamHill.com, with Sri Lanka a rank outsider to notch up their first victory at the World Cup, being played in England and Wales.
The Men in Green opened their campaign with a thrashing at the hands of the West Indies, before a stunning effort against England on Monday, when they beat the tournament favourite after winning the toss.
Sri Lanka opened their campaign with an equally disappointing performance, being bowled out for just over 100, which New Zealand had little trouble chasing down. The Sri Lankans defeated Afghanistan on Tuesday.
While we don’t think either Sri Lanka or Pakistan can win the 2019 World Cup outright, one of these teams is likely to have their chances snuffed out on Friday. We are predicting Pakistan to win, but there are more appealing betting markets available on this contest.
This Pakistan v Sri Lanka betting preview will run you through betting options for match 11 of 48 of the ICC World Cup 2019.
Pakistan v Sri Lanka odds:
For full markets visit the William Hill website.
HEAD TO HEAD BETTING:
Pakistan $1.33, Sri Lanka $3.30
Sri Lanka v Pakistan prediction: Pakistan looks too strong on paper in this one, but we saw their horrific performance against the Windies in their opening match. If Jekyll turns up, Pakistan should win easily, if Hyde makes an appearance we don’t know what will happen.
TOP RUN-SCORER BETTING:
Pakistan:
Top five in betting: Babar Azam $3.75, Fakhar Zaman $4.33, Imam-ul-Haq $4.50, Mohammad Hafeez $5.50, Haris Sohail $6.
Top scorers from past five ODIs:
v England: Mohammed Hafeez 84
v West Indies: Fakhar Zaman 22, Babar Azam 22
v England: Sarfaraz Ahmed 97
v England: Babar Azam 115
v England: Imam-ul-Haq 151
Sri Lanka:
Top five in betting: Kusal Perera $4.33, Dimuth Karunaratne $4.50, Kusal Mendis $5, Avishka Fernando $5.50, Angelo Mathews $6.
Top scorers from past five ODIs:
v Afghanistan: Kusal Perera 78
v New Zealand: Dimuth Karunaratne 52no
v Scotland: Dimuth Karunaratne 77
v South Africa: Kusal Mendis 56
v South Africa: Isuru Udana 78
Top batter prediction: Sri Lanka’s win over Afghanistan was spearheaded by Kusal Perera, but we’re tipping his super-consistent opening partner and captain Dimuth Karunaratne to top score against Pakistan.
If you’re looking for a Pakistan batsman who is in form and capable of topping the run scorers against Sri Lanka, we predict Babar Azar, after a classy 63 from 66 balls against England, is ready to explode against a weaker bowling attack. You can back him for most runs against Sri Lanka at WilliamHill.com.
TOP WICKET-TAKER BETTING:
Pakistan:
Top five in betting: Shadab Khan $4, Wahab Riaz $4, Hasan Ali $4.33, Mohammad Amir $4.33, Shaheen Afridi $4.50.
Top wicket-takers from past five ODIs:
v England: Wahab Riaz 3-82
v West Indies: Mohammad Amir 3-26
v England: Shaheen Afridi 4-82
v England: Imad Wasim 2-62, Mohammad Hasnain 2-80
v England: Junaid Khan 1-57, Imad Wasim 1-58, Faheem Ashraf 1-75
Sri Lanka:
Top five in betting: Lasith Malinga $3.75, Suranga Lakmal $4.50, Nuwan Pradeep $4.50, Isuru Udana $5, Jeffrey Vandersay $5.
Top wicket-takers from past five ODIs:
v Afghanistan: Nuwan Pradeep 4-31
v New Zealand: No wicket-taker
v Scotland: Nuwan Pradeep 4-34
v South Africa: Lasith Malinga 1-22, Thisara Perera 1-20
v South Africa: Dhananjaya de Silva 3-41
Top bowler tip: Sri Lanka’s bowling attack roared to life against Afghanistan on Tuesday, but they will find the going tougher against Pakistan. We think the old pros Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Pradeep can do plenty of damage again, after their top performance against Afghanistan. If we had to pick one it would be Pradeep.
We predict Pakistan’s top bowler will be Wahab Riaz who may have gone for a few runs but was deadly against England finishing with three wickets. Riaz was not expected to be a major factor in England but his extra pace and bounce has put him into the frame in this kind of market. Remember it’s top wicket taker, not top strike rate, so a bowler like Riaz who goes for a few runs can still be a great punting option.
Pakistan v Sri Lanka prediction
We are predicting Pakistan to win this one, largely because Sri Lanka’s batsmen have seriously struggled in England — even in their victory over Afghanistan. Pakistan’s batting depth and fast bowling stocks are far superior to Sri Lanka’s, which means Pakistan should take their ICC World Cup record to 2-1 after three matches.
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
