The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 is underway in India, with 10 teams vying for the coveted trophy. The second match of the tournament will see Pakistan take on the Netherlands at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Friday, October 6. This will be the first time that the two teams will face each other in a World Cup match, and only the seventh time in ODIs.
Pakistan are one of the most unpredictable and exciting teams in world cricket, with a rich history of producing some of the finest fast bowlers and batsmen. They have won the World Cup once, in 1992, and reached the final in 1999. They are currently ranked sixth in the ICC ODI rankings, and have some star players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Hasan Ali in their squad.
The Netherlands are the surprise package of the World Cup, having qualified for the tournament by topping the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League table. They are ranked 13th in the ICC ODI rankings, and have never beaten Pakistan in ODIs. However, they have some talented players like Ryan ten Doeschate, Roelof van der Merwe, and Logan van Beek, who have experience of playing in various T20 leagues around the world.
Pakistan are the clear favourites to win this match, given their superior record and quality against the Netherlands. They have won all six of their previous ODIs against them, with the last one being a 97-run victory in 2003. They also have a strong batting line-up led by captain Babar Azam, who is ranked second in the ICC ODI batting rankings. He has scored four centuries and six fifties in his last 15 ODIs, averaging 67.93.
The Netherlands will have to play out of their skins to challenge Pakistan, and hope for some favourable conditions and luck. They will rely on their experienced all-rounders like Ryan ten Doeschate and Roelof van der Merwe to provide some stability and firepower to their batting and bowling. They will also need their fast bowlers like Timm van der Gugten and Logan van Beek to exploit any swing or seam movement on offer.
We predict that Pakistan will win this match comfortably by a margin of more than 50 runs or five wickets.
The betting odds for this match are heavily in favour of Pakistan, as expected. According to Oddschecker, Pakistan are priced at 1/16 to win this match, while the Netherlands are at 12/1. This means that if you bet $100 on Pakistan to win, you will get $106.25 back, while if you bet $100 on the Netherlands to win, you will get $1300 back.
The odds for other markets like top batsman, top bowler, and total runs are also available on Oddschecker. For example, Babar Azam is the favourite to be the top batsman for Pakistan at 5/2, while Ryan ten Doeschate is the favourite to be the top batsman for the Netherlands at 7/2. Shaheen Afridi is the favourite to be the top bowler for Pakistan at 11/4, while Timm van der Gugten is the favourite to be the top bowler for the Netherlands at 7/2.
The match between Pakistan and the Netherlands is expected to be a one-sided affair, with Pakistan having a clear edge over their opponents in terms of form, quality, and experience. The Netherlands will have to play exceptionally well to cause an upset, which seems unlikely given their lack of exposure and success at this level. We predict that Pakistan will win this match easily and start their World Cup campaign on a positive note.
The match between Pakistan and the Netherlands is scheduled to be played on Friday, October 6 at 2:00 PM IST (8:30 AM GMT) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
The match between Pakistan and the Netherlands will be broadcast live on Star Sports Network in India, Sky Sports Cricket in UK, Fox Cricket in Australia, SuperSport in South Africa, Willow TV in USA, PTV Sports in Pakistan, Ziggo Sport in Netherlands, and other channels around the world. You can also stream the match online on Hotstar (India), Sky Go (UK), Foxtel (Australia), SuperSport (South Africa), Willow TV Online (USA), PTV Sports Live (Pakistan), Ziggo Sport Totaal (Netherlands), and other platforms.
Some of the key players to watch out for in this match are:
November 14, 2024
November 14, 2024
November 14, 2024
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November 14, 2024