The second match of the double header in the T20 World Cup 2021 on Tuesday comes from Super 12 Group 2 where the runaway leaders Pakistan can secure a semi-final place when they take on Namibia in Abu Dhabi.
In all likelihood Pakistan have already done enough to make it into the semi-final but a win here would secure it and most likely see them win the group too. Namibia are in a three way battle for second place and have to win here to keep their last four hopes alive.
Namibia
The surprise package of the tournament have been Namibia but they have been a breath of fresh air to the competition. They play hard but with an enthusiasm and a passion which is easy to get behind and have already achieved a lot more than many would have expected them to. Just making this Super 12 stage means they will be at the next T20 World Cup next year and that is a huge boost to Namibian cricket moving forward.
The fact that whatever happens from here on in that Namibia have showcased their talents and won matches in both stages they have competed in says a lot about them. They will feel they have a serious scalp in them and having had a bit of preparation about what they might face here in their previous match against Afghanistan, you wonder if they will fancy their chances in this one. They will need to bat better than they did last time out but we saw earlier in the tournament that they have that in them.
Pakistan
This has been a brilliant campaign for Pakistan so far. They have seen off the two biggest dangers in the group and overcome the significant challenge of Afghanistan and now they round off their Super 12 exploits against the two weaker sides in the competition. They will be expected to make it five wins from five for this section from here on in and you would think if they continue to perform how they have been that is exactly what will happen.
Pakistan have been nasty with the ball in conditions which are custom made for their bowling attack but what has been really noticeable is the confidence their batters are playing with. They have claims for the best opening partnership in the competition and along with that they have a middle order which is functioning very well. You sense Pakistan are going to be very hard to beat from here on in if they can avoid significant injuries.
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Key Men
I would imagine for Namibia to have any chance in this match they have to take early wickets so the new ball spell of Ruben Trumpelmann is going to be crucial to their chances. We saw the pitch favour the seamers in the first game which should help him.
You sense that if Babar Azam gets himself in here he will be more than capable of taking the game away from Namibia. He can play the patient innings if the pitch is doing tricks or the explosive one should he get fed into his strengths.
Betting
I’m sure you know by now that the toss is a major influencer on the winner of these night matches and while I don’t see Pakistan losing this match whether they bat first or bowl, I do think handicaps could be affected by the toss so once again it is a visit to the side markets which get me going with regards to a bet and as with the earlier game in the day I’m going to head to the player performance markets where the line of David Wiese looks a little on the low side.
That line is at 29.5 points and for an all-rounder who is going to bowl his four overs and bat in the middle order that looks very low. While some of the Namibians will be seeing this Pakistan attack for the first time, Wiese played in the Pakistan Super League this season where Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf were teammates so he would have faced them in the nets at some point. He was also on the same team as Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Hafeez so he would have bowled at them as well. This pitch looks like it will suit Wiese’s hit the pitch style of bowling and with little spin on offer his batting should flow too. Although he didn’t take a wicket against Afghanistan, he scored 26 in a cause that was never going anywhere. With assistance with the ball I like him to cover here.
Tips
Back D.Wiese’s Performance – Over 29.5pts for a 3/10 stake at 2.20 with Betway
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