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Zalmi underrated
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Imad again at 40s
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Trade the tie
Islamabad United v Peshawar Zalmi
Saturday 16 March, 16.00
TV: Live on Sky743
Islamabad United v Peshawar Zalmi team news
Colin Munro missed the Eliminator success over Quetta Gladiators with an injury. Martim Guptill replaced him. Although Guptill made 56 it took him 47 balls, the sort of innings which can kill a team.
Obed McCoy also came in for his first game of the season. Two new starters at this stage is not ideal. Fortunately old-hand Imad Wasim turned the game with three wickets with United under pressure.
Probable XI: Guptill, Hales, Salman, Shadab, Azam, Haider, Imad, Faheem, Naseem, McCoy, Hunain
Zalmi were well-beaten in the qualifier against Sultans. Their batting flopped again at Karachi and they were unable to get themselves out of a hole. Babar Azam's 46 was the only highlight of 146. Tom Kohler-Cadmore continues to be an issue which they won't deal with in the middle order. He is striking at 102 for the tournament. Asif Ali should come back in fit.
Probable XI: Ayub, Babar, Haris, Haseebullah, Kohler-Cadmore, Powell, Walter, Jamal, Wood, Mumtaz, Irshad
Islamabad United v Peshawar Zalmi pitch report
The Karachi surface is beginning to look tired. Four from nine this term at the ground have meant unders on a tissue par line of 165.5 were winners. But United laboured at times in their 174 against Quetta and Zalmi have recorded scores of 147 and 146 on the wicket. Shorting their runs batting first at 165 or 170 is a play.
Islamabad United v Peshawar Zalmi match odds
Get Babar, get to the final. Zalmi now look terribly reliant on their star man and top tournament bat to get them into the game.
When they removed him for a duck in the previous meeting, United won easily. When they didn't in their first meeting of the campaign, he got a ton and Zalmi took the points.
United are 1.845/6 favourites and we're uncomfortable about that bet. Even against a poor Quetta team their flakiness was a concern and against better opposition they could come unstuck. Zalmi can flip the odds and then a bit more if they were to bowl first on a tricky surface.
Do also keep the possibility of a tie in mind. On a tacky surface and in a pressure game a last-gasp finish might be on the cards. It is trading at 42.041/1 now. In-play we could back it at around the 16.015/1 mark from the death overs and lay off for a big swing with things getting tight in the last over.
Islamabad United v Peshawar Zalmi player bets
We backed Imad Wasim at 50/151.00 for top United bat against Quetta and he ended up taking the match award...for his bowling. But we will have a small interest again at 40/141.00 because of the nature of the pitch. Likewise we take a big price on Aamer Jamal at 35/136.00 for top Zalmi. He took 87 off 49 against this attack earlier in the comp and really should be promoted as a result.
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