Saim Ayub: “I got the opportunity to learn from Babar Azam while playing for Peshawar Zalmi. He always gives confidence to youngsters, so I really enjoyed playing alongside him”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Saim Ayub said he learned a lot from Babar Azam and saw a boost in confidence after playing with the former Pakistan captain for the Peshawar Zalmi in the 2023 Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Azam captained the Zalmi in PSL 8 and gave plenty of opportunities to Ayub, who grabbed it with both hands.
The 21-year-old from Karachi was one of the standout performers in the tournament as he amassed 341 runs in 12 matches, which included five half-centuries, at an average of 28.41 and a strike-rate of 165.53.
Having impressed with the bat, he was called up to the Pakistan team and played in their T20I series against Afghanistan and New Zealand.
Ayub also recently made his Test debut in the three-match series against Australia and made scores of 0 and 33 in the third Test in Sydney.
“I got the opportunity to learn from Babar Azam while playing for Peshawar Zalmi. He always gives confidence to youngsters, so I really enjoyed playing alongside him,” Ayub was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Following the Australia tour, Ayub featured in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand and finished with 39 runs in four games at an average of 9.75 and a strike-rate of 130.
He will now play for the Zalmi in the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL), which begins on February 17.
Peshawar Zalmi Squad for PSL 9: Babar Azam (captain), Rovman Powell, Saim Ayub, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Mohammad Haris, Aamer Jamal, Khurram Shahzad, Haseebullah Khan, Asif Ali, Naveen-ul-Haq, Umair Afridi, Dan Mousley, Mohammad Zeeshan, Lungi Ngidi, Mehran Mumtaz, Noor Ahmad, Salman Irshad, Arif Yaqoob