UAE vs Oman Prediction: Why we’re siding with 14/5 Siddique

Jamie Pacheco previews the UAE v Oman T20I match at the Asia Cup played in Abu Dhabion Monday with a start time of 13:30 and which is live on TNT Sports.

Jamie thinks things could be tighter on the match winner market than the odds suggest and is instead focusing his attention on the UAE top bowler market where the team’s class act is a perfectly good price to back at 14/5.  

*You can check out the Cricket Odds from all of our Cricket Betting markets over on betfred.com

UAE

The UAE got battered by India in their first match but there was no disgrace in that. India will do the same to their opponents here, Oman, just like Pakistan did to them, because the levels of skill between such teams as India and Pakistan, and the two in action here, are very different.

As it happens, they didn’t even start that badly against India. Openers Alishan Sharafu and our wager Mohammad Waseem scored 22 and 19 respectively at almost exactly a run-a-ball between them, which isn’t bad going at all in the circumstances.

But the wheels really came off once those two were out, with no-one else getting to double figures, worrying indeed. Then again, they’re not going to be up against such men as Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav here so will have a far better chance to showcase their skills.

Likely XI:  Sharafu, Waseem, Zohaib, Chopra, Asif Khan, Kaushik, Parashar, S Singh, Ali, Siddique, Rohid.

Oman

Oman certainly looked and played like a side making their debut at the Asia Cup.

At least in terms of their batting. Chasing a tough 160 on a pitch with something in it, they couldn’t deal with either swing, pace or spin, Hammad Mirza‘s 27 off 23 one of the few highlights.

Their bowling was considerably better and it’s not a bad effort to have taken seven Pakistan wickets and to have restricted them to 160. Shah Faisal and Aamir Kallem each took three.

Likely XI: Kaleem, Singh, Mirza, Nadeem, Mehmood, Shukla, Islam, Faisal, Ahmed, H Shah, Shristava.

Pitch and conditions.

This has always been a good wicket here in Abu Dhabi. Afghanistan posted a big 188 here in the first match of the tournament and Hong Kong, normally no great shakes with the bat, managed 143 against Bangladesh, which was easily chased.

Neither side here have the power hitters other teams do so don’t expect too big a first innings score but 160 or so first up should be achievable for either team.

UAE vs Oman Odds

The UAE are 1/2, implied probability of 66.7%; Oman are 13/8, or 38.5%.

Not many surprises in those prices with the ‘hosts’ ranked 15th and Oman 20th in the ICC’s T20I rankings.

But we note the 4-4 on the head-to-head record as evidence this could be a bit tight, and we’ll leave the main market alone.

1pts Junaid Siddique to be UAE Top Bowler @ 14/5

Only one bowler took a wicket against India and that was Junaid Siddique, the 32-year-oldwho bowls right-arm medium fast.

But that’s certainly not the reason we’re backing him. The reason we’re backing him is his impressive record of 101 wickets in 76 T20Is, testament to his longevity, experience and consistency.

His numbers dwarf those of anyone else in the side and he took 3/49 against a strong Pakistan batting line-up a couple of weeks ago, so he’s the class act in the side with the ball. Let’shope he shows that on Monday. Not a huge price at 14/5 but he’s not any bigger for very good reason.

*For all the latest and live India vs Pakistan Odds then head over to betfred.com