Pakistan v Afghanistan: World Cup betting preview, TV channel, team news & tips

TV: Sky Sports Mix, 10.30am Saturday

Headingley, Leeds

Pakistan were bowled out for 105 in their first match at the 2019 World Cup and lost three of their first four completed games yet a win over Afghanistan would take them above England and into the semi-final places.

They are 1-6 to get the job done at Headingley and if they also beat Bangladesh, their final opponents, England would need wins over India and New Zealand to make the last four.

Reaching the knockout stage would represent a remarkable turnaround for Pakistan, who lost their pre-tournament series against England 4-0 before their humiliating loss to the West Indies at Trent Bridge.

They outplayed South Africa and New Zealand in their last two matches and it is 5-1 that they slip up against a disjointed and underperforming Afghan side.

England fans won’t be holding out much hope for a favour from the underdogs although the course of Pakistan cricket never did run smooth and their final warm-up game before this tournament was a three-wicket defeat in Bristol - against Afghanistan.

Best bets
Afghanistan gave India their biggest scare of the tournament, trading at odds-on in-play before slipping to an 11-run defeat at the Hampshire Bowl but they were well beaten by Bangladesh last time out.

It is hard to see them repeating their warm-up win over their neighbours as Pakistan have looked an excellent all-round unit in recent games.

Haris Sohail has added some thrust to the middle-order batting and Shaheen Afridi (3-28) and Babar Azam (101 not out) played sparkling hands in the six-wicket win over New Zealand at Edgbaston.

Mohammad Amir has been outstanding in this tournament, taking 16 wickets in six innings including 5-30 against Australia and 3-47 against India.

He struck with his first ball of the match against South Africa, pinning Hashim Amla lbw, and the Kiwis, when he bowled opener Martin Guptill, and he should cause major problems for an unsettled Afghan top order.

There were doubts over Amir’s inclusion in the final 15-man squad but he has fully justified his selection and is a tempting bet at 12-1 to be man of the match at a venue where he took seven wickets as a teenager in a 2010 Test victory over Australia.

With Pakistan expected to win well, it is worth having another dart in the man-of-the-match market in the form of opener Fakhar Zaman.

The left-hander, who scored 114 in the 2017 Champions Trophy final win over India at The Oval, smashed 138 off 106 balls in the second ODI against England in May. He hasn’t scored heavily in this tournament but his 62 against India and 44 against South Africa bode well for the clash with the Afghans.

Zaman can destroy weak bowling attacks as he showed with scores of 60, 117 not out, 43 not out, 210 not out and 85 in last year’s series in Zimbabwe.

Recommendations
M Amir to be man of the match
1pt 12-1 general
F Zaman to be man of the match
1pt 12-1 bet365

Team news
Pakistan
The Men in Green could be unchanged after their victory over New Zealand at Edgbaston.

Afghanistan
Seamer Aftab Alam has been sent home for a disciplinary breach.

Venue
Headingley traditionally offers plenty of help for seam bowlers and England struggled on a sluggish pitch against Sri Lanka, falling 20 runs short of a modest victory target of 233.

Pakistan have lost their last three ODIs in Leeds, including May’s 54-run defeat to England when Chris Woakes took three wickets in the first three overs of their run-chase.

Weather
Sunny and dry with temperatures reaching a glorious 29C in Leeds.

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