Shakib Al Hasan to be the difference when Bangladesh meet Afghanistan

If you thought Afghanistan v Bangladesh had little riding on it, you don’t understand the ill-feelings between these two rivals. And where there’s a contest, there’s money to be made on the punt.

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If Tuesday night’s England-Australia clash is a heavyweight bout, Monday’s Afghanistan-Bangladesh contest will have no less feeling, if slightly less punch.

These two teams don’t like each other.

Bangladesh leads their ODI head-to-head record 4-3 and it was one-all when they met in the Asia Cup in January.

Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan is second only to David Warner on the batting charts.

That says Afghanistan might be worth a nibble at $4, or more early in the run, particularly as this match is at Southampton where it pushed India so hard on Saturday.

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But Bangladesh’s batting gives it a decisive edge. It has posted three scores this tournament in excess of 320 & its lowest in five innings has been 244 against New Zealand.

Afghanistan has three totals of 172 or less with a peak of 8-247 against England.

Bangladesh just.

THE DETAILS

AFGHANISTAN v BANGLADESH

MONDAY, JUNE 24, SOUTHAMPTON, 7.30PM (AEST)

World ODI rankings: Bangladesh 7 (rating 91), Afghanistan 10 (rating 61)

Southampton weather forecast: showers, 21C

TAB odds: Bangladesh $1.25, Afghanistan $4.

TV: Every match of the World Cup is LIVE and ad-break free during play on Fox Sports or live stream on Kayo Sports.

SUGGESTED BETS

1 unit on Shakib Al Hasan to top score for Bangladesh at $3.50.

Five innings, 425 runs at 106.3 with a strike-rate of 103.4. Only David Warner (447) has more runs this World Cup with Joe Root in third spot with 424. Shakib’s average and strike-rate at this tournament is better than both those players. He is a superstar.

TAB odds (most runs for Bangladesh tonight): Shakib Al Hasan $3.50; Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim $4.25; Soumya Sarkar $4.50; Mohammad Mithun, Mohammad Mahmudullah, Liton Das $8; Mosaddek Hossain $11; Sabbir Rahman $13; Mohammad Saifuddin $19; Mehidy Hasan $41.

1 unit on Hashmatullah Shahidi to top score for Afghanistan at $4.25.

Hashmatullah clearly leads Afghanistan’s scoring at this World Cup with 186 runs. Najibullah Zadran is next best with 134. Hashmatullah has scored two of Afghanistan’s four half-centuries. He also top scored in both ODIs against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup in January. He’s our man.

TAB odds (most runs for Afghanistan tonight): Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi $4.25; Hazratullah Zazai $4.50; Gulbadin Naib $5; Noor Ali Zadran $5.50; Asghar Afghan $6.50; Mohammad Nabi, Samiullah Shinwari, Najibullah Zadran $7.50; Ikram Ali Khil $13; Rashid Khan $17 Dawlat Zadran $34.

WASH-UP

Game 30: Pakistan v South Africa

1 unit on Pakistan to win at $2.15.

Our only collect of the day.

1 unit on Mohammad Amir to take most wickets for Pakistan at $3.25.

Amir (2-49) was good again but couldn’t get tailenders out like Wahab Riaz (3-46) did. Leggie Shadab Khan (3-50) had his best game. Both were a $4.50 chance.

1 unit Imam-ul-Haq to top score for Pakistan at $4.

Imam (44) fell to a brilliant one-handed Imran Tahir caught and bowled. Haris Sohail ($6 chance) was rightly man of the match for his 89 off 59 balls.

1 unit on Rassie van der Dussen to top score for South Africa at $6.50.

Frustratingly like Imam, van der Dussen (36) was well placed to win this but blew his chance with 10.2 overs still to bat. Faf du Plessis ($4.50) took the honours with 63.

TOURNAMENT BALANCE: -2.53 units

Originally published as Shakib Al Hasan to be the difference when Bangladesh meet Afghanistan