New Delhi: While all the Indian cricket fans are waiting for the epic encounter between the arch rivals India and Pakistan on Sunday, it's all under the radar of bookies.
For players it might just be the group game, but for the fans and bookies it is nothing more than a final match of the world cup. Since betting on the sport is illegal but that, as we all know has never stopped.
According to English daily Economic Times, India, which has never lost a 50-over World Cup match to Pakistan, is pegged at a payout of Rs 1. This means that someone who bets Rs 1 on India will get Rs 2 if the team wins. The odds are bigger for Pakistan at Rs 1.50.
It is however unlikely that these two teams will clash in the tournament again due to high wagers. Sources say traditionally tens of crores of rupees are on bet on India-Pakistan matches.
Author Ed Hawkins, in his book 'Bookie Gambler Fixer Spy', had claimed that bookies had advance information on how the India-Pakistan semi-final at Mohali in 2011 would pan out.
This has, however, not been conclusively proven. In India 125 crore people are waiting for Team India to lift the trophy once again but if bookies are to be believed, the defending champions don't seem have any chances of winning the cup, with the payout pegged at 75 paise in such an eventuality. Pakistan, which won in 1992, is seen as even less likely to take home the cup at Rs 1.25.
On the other hand, 1996 winners Sri Lanka is seen to have a better chance than its South Asian neighbours at a 65 paise payout but for the bookies, hosts Australia and New Zealand are most favorites to lift the coveted trophy. They are offering a measly 30 paise on Australia achieving the feat for a fifth time and 40 paise for New Zealand. The Kiwis have never managed to get past the semi-finals.
South Africa will be the third contender for the bookies which carries a 45p payoff. The South Africans have seen their World Cup dream shattered thrice at the semi-final stage. England, which too has never won the World Cup, is getting a wager of 55 paise.
Apart from betting in losing and winning the matches, stakes are also at who will win the toss on Sunday, then decide to bat or bowl first, the total scorecard and the performance of individual players, among others.
For starters, Pakistan winning the toss and electing to bowl is pegged at 45 paise as against 35 paise on India winning the toss and deciding to bowl first.
The wager on India's star batsman Virat Kohli scoring 50 and above but not a century is 45 paise, and the same for Pakistan's captain Misbah-ul-Haq is 55 paise, underlining the fact that both batsman are expected to be the top scorers for their teams, according to ET.
