South Africa vs Pakistan Betting Tips 10/04/2021

14:34, 9 Apr 2021

Senior Author

14:34, 9 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.

With the ODI series done and dusted, it’s now time for assignment number two of Pakistan’s grand African tour. The task ahead is a four-match T20I series, of which the first will be played on April 10, Saturday 6pm (IST) at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.

Teams Status

Pakistan: The tourists were the favorites in the final ODI, thanks to their form as well as the fact that South Africa were significantly weakened due to a number of their players having left to play the Indian Premier League.

It’s a known fact about Pakistan that the shorter the format is, the better they become. Thus, don’t be surprised if they win this series as well, or even better, secure a whitewash.

Their batting, which clicked in all three ODIs, a rarity for Pakistan on away tours, will be further bolstered by the addition of hard-hitting Sharjeel Khan and the super experienced Mohammad Hafeez.

In bowling they will be without two expert pacers: Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Amir. The former was not picked for the tour, while the latter has retired.

But the batting additions are significant enough to say that Pakistan’s T20I roster is even more formidable than the ODI unit that defeated South Africa.

South Africa: On the other hand, things go from bad to worse for South Africa. Already thin on numbers due to their five IPL-bound a-listers, their captain Tenda Bavuma picked up a hamstring injury in the final ODI.

The newly appointed skipper is still in the squad and has not been officially ruled out but it will be touch and go for him.

Bavuma joins Rassie van der Dussen in the treatment room, having reported a quad strain hours before the 3^rd ODI and is now set to be out of action until April 15, according to Proteas coach Mark Boucher. If that happens, he will get to feature in only the last match of the series. Van der Dussen’s is an even bigger setback as he was batting beautifully and finished as South Africa’s highest scorer in the series despite missing the final match.

All things considered, Pakistan have a definitive edge on paper.

What do the Sportsbook Say

Brand	Home team name	Away team name
	2.20	1.66
	2.04	1.66
	2.18	1.66

All three of Bet365, 22bet and Leovegas have Pakistan as favorites. The Babar Azam-led side can be backed to win at 1.66 on all three of 22bet, Bet365 and LeoVegas. Odds for South Africa, the underdogs, are 2.04 on 22bet, 2.20 on Bet365 and 2.18 on LeoVegas.

Tipster’s Angle

Tip: Pakistan to win 1^st T20I @ 1.66

Pakistan are not known to be a great travelling team but in 20-over format they have a chance against anyone. That is what conventional wisdom tells about a regular Pakistan side. This one has its tail up and is up against a side much below their strength.

They have one of the world’s premier batsmen in Babar Azam, a pair of devastating openers in Fakhar Zaman and Sharjeel Khan, and arguably the most in-form batsman in the format over the last year: Mohammad Hafeez.

Add to it the fact that South Africa have beaten Pakistan just once in their last four T20I meetings. Stretch that to five matches and the record becomes a bit better at 3-2 but that additional South African win had come via just seven runs, and was at the same venue where this Saturday’s series opener will be played.

It makes total sense to take a punt on Pakistan to win the match.

Tip: Janneman Malan to score most runs for South Africa @ 3.24

Janneman Malan only got to play a single match in the ODI series, and that too because the regulars were injured. But in his sole 70-run knock in the 3^rd ODI defeat, the 24-year-old showcased his array of shots and indicated that there could be a useful player hidden inside him.

With no Quinton de Kock, and the pairing of Van der Dussen and Bavuma out injured, Malan is highly likely to open the innings. There is value in backing him to be the top scorer for South Africa in this series.

Conclusion

South Africa didn’t start off well in the hunt for their revenge for the loss in the Test and the T20I series. Pakistan showed what they can do in the first ODI and why they are no pushovers. They could even go on to win the series from here. So South Africa should bring their A-game into the next match.