T20 World Cup 2024: Pakistan vs Canada Best Bets

Pakistan will be desperate to salvage their when they take on Canada in a must-win game at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. We’ve prepared the best bets to take for this all-important encounter.

Venue: Nassau County International Cricket Stadium

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Canada’s T20 World Cup journey gained momentum with a confident victory over Ireland at Nassau County International Stadium, New York. This win not only demonstrated their capability but also positioned them for a potential upset against Pakistan. With a win here, they could edge closer to a top-two spot, depending on other results.

The victory against Ireland showcased Canada’s resilience, with crucial contributions from Nicholas Kirton and Shreyas Movva, who rescued their innings and set up a defendable total. Their bowlers, led by Jeremy Gordon and Dilon Heyliger, restricted Ireland effectively, supported well by the spinners. If they replicate this performance, Pakistan’s cautious batting line-up could be in trouble.

Pakistan’s campaign has faltered due to underwhelming batting performances. Against the USA, they posted a below-par score despite Babar Azam and Shadab Khan’s efforts. A similar batting collapse occurred against India, where they failed to chase a modest total, leaving their lower order with too much to do. Poor utilisation of the powerplay and conservative batting have been their downfall, requiring a change in approach to stay in contention.

For Pakistan, victory is crucial to keep their qualification hopes alive, reminiscent of their 2022 resurgence. However, Canada, buoyed by their recent success, will be eager to capitalise on Pakistan’s vulnerabilities and secure another memorable win. The stage is set for an exciting contest.

Pakistan were woeful against India and can only improve from that horrific chase. They come up against an impressive Canadian side that’ll be looking to boost their chances of qualifying for the next round. An upset could be on the cards but we’re going for the safer bet. Back Pakistan to edge this one.

Players to Watch: Fakhar Zaman has always been entertaining at his best, but frustrating at the worst. He’s the sort of player who can be an X-Factor in a team of anchors, providing middle-order impetus. He arrived at the World Cup in good form (e.g. 78 from 41 against Ireland and 45 from 21 against England) but has fallen early twice so far. His wicket against India might have been the killer blow, for he was close to taking the game away. Pakistan need the NRR boost if they want to qualify – a Zaman big knock would help.

Jeremy Gordon had the worst night of his career against the USA, getting hit for 33 runs in an over to concede the game essentially. What did he do next? Come back strong, taking 2/16 in four overs with accurate hard-length bowling, assessing the conditions perfectly, and staying consistent with what worked. That Gordon did well was testament to his skill and character – and he’s well-placed to replicate the same against Pakistan.

Key Stats

Canada have played against Pakistan only thrice in international cricket:

ODIs in the 1979 and 2011 World Cups, and a T20 in 2008.

The average score batting first at the pop-up New York venue is less than 108.

Mohammed Rizwan’s strike rate of 70.45 against India was his lowest strike rate amongst the 43 innings played where he faced more than 30 balls.

Shadab Khan has gone wicketless in his last four T20Is and is averaging 59.00 with a bowling strike rate of 37 from his last 12 T20I innings, compared to career numbers of 23.46 and 19.4 respectively.

Nicholas Kirton’s scores of 51 and 49 in this World Cup are his top two career T20I scores.

Saad Bin Zafar has taken at least one wicket in 11 of his last 12 T20I bowling innings. The only innings he could have done so was Canada’s tournament opener against the USA this week.

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