South Africa vs Pakistan Betting Tips 14/04/2021

14:38, 13 Apr 2021

Senior Author

14:38, 13 Apr 2021

Zohaib Ahmed is a sports journalist whose profession is to report and edit but whose passion is to predict and bet. He’s been in the industry for more than a decade and has worked/written for various bookmakers/tipsters. His expertise is in cricket, football, MMA, boxing and basketball.

Pakistan got a wakeup call in the second T20I as they lost to a second-string South Africa side by a sizable margin of six wickets. The series now moves to SuperSport Park in Centurion, where the third match will be played on April 14 (Wednesday) at 6pm IST.

Teams Status

Pakistan were dealt a major blow hours before the second T20I when their supremely in-form batsman Fakhar Zaman was ruled out due to what was described as a “leg allergy”. Fortunately, they had a pretty much like-for-like replacement in the form of Sharjeel Khan but unfortunately, the stocky opener could not deliver a like-for-like performance.

The increasingly reliable Mohammad Rizwan was uncharacteristically out on the first ball of the match, which when coupled with Sharjeel’s short stay at the crease, created a flimsy foundation for the rest of batters. The match was lost there and then, although the lower order also contributed its part in the team’s downfall.

Fakhar’s conditions did not seem serious but it still remains to be seen if he can shake it off and make the playing eleven on Wednesday.

Another call will have to be taken on Mohammad Hasnain, who was picked over Haris Rauf in the second T20I but did not set the world on fire by any means, leaking 25 runs in his two overs in exchange for just a single wicket.

South Africa

Pakistan have had a long and successful history of volunteering as launching pad for the careers of little-known players. The tourists’ generosity was once again on full display when they turned George Linde into a match-winner. The left-arm spinner was given three top-order wickets, gifted as many catches, and if that wasn’t enough, he also had a cameo with the bat in the run chase, scoring an unbeaten 20 off 10 to take home a deserved man-of-the-match award.

Pakistan have so far played five international matches on this tour: three ODIs and two T20Is. Of all the most lopsided game was the second T20I of Monday.

The nature of the defeat was such that it has every chance of propelling the confidence of the depleted hosts and forcing the stronger tourists into a meltdown that is always around the corner with them.

The Proteas will likely stick with the winning combination amid calls for the inclusion of the talented Kyle Verreynne, who misses out mysteriously despite an impressive showing against Pakistan in the 3^rd ODI defeat.

What do the Sportsbook Say

Brand	Home team name	Away team name
	2.20	1.66
	2.205	1.67
	2.14	1.70

Bookmakers still see Pakistan as the favourite, just as they should because on paper it still remains a massive mismatch. However, the odds have shrunk slightly for South Africa and grown a bit for Pakistan. 22Bet has a Pakistan victory priced at 1.67 and South Africa’s at 2.205; LeoVegas has Pakistan at 1.70 and South Africa at 2.14; and lastly, Bet365 have assigned odds of 1.66 to Pakistan and 2.20 to South Africa.

Tipster’s Angle

Tip: Mohammad Hafeez to score 50 – Yes @ 4.0

Those who follow Pakistan cricket would know that Mohammad Hafeez aka The Professor has aged like fine wine. Since being recalled after the disastrous World Cup 2019, he has been playing at a different level, and has arguably been Pakistan’s most impressive performer.

Throughout his career, he has been excellent against spin, which is nothing unusual for Asian batsmen. However, he has twice been dismissed by spinners in this series so far, which should be taken as a two-off situation rather than any permanent chinks in his armour. He will be kicking himself and raring to get another chance to atone for the twin failures this series thus far.

If he gets enough batting time, there is a good chance that he might score at least half a century. This play should be considered, especially when it is offered at tasty odds of 4.0.

Tip: Most run-outs – Pakistan – Yes @ 3.5

You can back Pakistan to have more run-outs than their opponents on any day of the week and twice on Sundays. But when they have arguably the world’s least fit player in Sharjeel Khan opening the innings, followed by a fit but 40-year-old Mohammad Hafeez in the middle order and generally a bunch of others who tend to not have the best coordination with their partners, this bet becomes even more tempting.

At odds of 3.5, this is an interesting bet.

Conclusion

As said so many times, this stacked Pakistan team has no business losing to this South Africa side. But they did lose the last game. The Wanderers’ Stadium pitch, which hosted the last two matches, had a bit too much to offer to spinners. The surface change could, in theory, negate the surprising spin advantage that South Africa have and expose their rookie pace attack.
A Pakistan win is the more likely outcome here but then you never know with this team.