West Indies – Pakistan, Betting Preview and Prediction for Champions Trophy
ICC Champions Trophy
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Betting preview -
The West Indies Cricket Board’s issues with the West Indies Players’ Association has meant that the second-string West Indian side, with players who would not be a part of most countries’ first class sides, will be the whipping boys for the tournament.
One only has to look at the odds of the West Indies-Pakistan game to be able to decide where to place your money. Really, it cannot get any more one-sided in a tournament which is christened as the Champions Trophy, where one of the teams is anything but champions material.
Sporting Bet has offered 6/1 for the men from the Caribbean to even come close to a shock win – something that will upset most calculations around the world.
In contrast, a Pakistani win is given only 1/6 by each of Boylesports, Bluesq, Sky Bet and many other book makers. And it is not too difficult to see why!
And unless Pakistan decides to play the game in a manner that has seen them self-destruct on more occasions than one AND add to that the West Indian side plays its best brand of cricket, there is no doubt that the match is Pakistan’s for the taking.
For a side that was beaten – read, routed by the Bangladeshis – in the recently concluded ODI and test series – 2-0 in tests and 3-0 in ODIs – it will be baptism by fire against a far superior opposition.
That the Bangladeshis had lost all their test series leading up to the one against West Indies in the nine years since they started playing it, speaks about the quality of the West Indian cricket.
And for those, who would like to bet on individual players, my sense is that you should be looking at the Pakistani players batting in the top four. If West Indies do bat first, it does look likely that most of the batting will be done by the top four!
Prediction: Pakistan all the way, even if the Pakistani tries not to win!
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