Mohammad Hafeez: “Saim Ayub should open the innings for Pakistan in T20I cricket. Whether he opens with Babar or Rizwan, doesn’t matter”

Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani

Former Pakistan team director and interim head coach Mohammad Hafeez has made it clear that Saim Ayub must open the batting in T20Is.

Ayub is one of the most exciting batting prospects in Pakistan as he possesses incredible firepower and can get off to incredibly fast starts.

Previously, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan opened the batting in T20Is until the five-match series against New Zealand in January 2024, where Ayub replaced Azam, who was moved down to number three.

Going forward, Hafeez wants one of the opening spots given to Ayub, while the other can go to Azam or Rizwan.

“Saim Ayub should open the innings for Pakistan in T20I cricket. Whether he opens with Babar or Rizwan, doesn’t matter,” he was quoted as saying by journalist Farid Khan on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Ayub recently played for the Peshawar Zalmi in the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL) and had a brilliant campaign as he was the fifth-highest run-scorer with 345 runs in 11 matches, which included two fifties, at an average of 31.36 and a strike-rate of 157.53.

Pakistan’s next assignment will be a five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which will take place in Rawalpindi and Lahore from April 18 to 27.

Peshawar Zalmi Squad for PSL 9: Babar Azam (captain), Rovman Powell, Saim Ayub, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Asif Ali, Mohammad Haris, Aamer Jamal, Naveen-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Salman Irshad, Arif Yaqoob, Umair Afridi, Dan Mousley, Haseebullah Khan, Mohammad Zeeshan, Mehran Mumtaz, Luke Wood, Sufiyan Muqeem, Waqar Salamkheil, Arshad Iqbal, Gus Atkinson, Shamar Joseph

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