Babar Azam said Mohammad Haris and Saim Ayub will get a chance if they keep performing
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Babar Azam, the Pakistan cricket captain, said young big-hitters Mohammad Haris and Saim Ayub will keep getting chances to play for the national team if they perform well.
Both players were impressive in the 2023 Pakistan Super League (PSL), where they played under Azam’s leadership for the Peshawar Zalmi.
Haris, 22, amassed 350 runs in 12 matches, which included two fifties, at an average of 31.81 and a strike-rate of 186.17.
As for 21-year-old Ayub, he accumulated 341 runs in 12 games, which included five half-centuries, at an average of 28.41 and a strike-rate of 165.53.
Following PSL 8, both of them featured in Pakistan’s limited overs series against Afghanistan and New Zealand.
As long as they keep scoring runs, Azam has vowed to keep giving them opportunities to shine at the international level.
“Haris, Saim Ayub. I think the more they play, they’ll get polished. And if they perform well, they’ll get a chance,” he was quoted as saying by Cricwick.
The 28-year-old will now captain Pakistan in their two-Test series against Sri Lanka, which will be held in Galle and Colombo from July 16 to 28.
Pakistan Squad for Sri Lanka Test Series:Â Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc & wk), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Muhammad Huraira, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood