Mohammad Hafeez: “Saim Ayub’s impact is extraordinary”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan team director and interim head coach Mohammad Hafeez believes opening batsman Saim Ayub can have an extraordinary impact when he is at the crease.
Ayub is among the best big-hitting prospects in the country and is likely to be one of Pakistan’s go-to top order batsmen going forward as he has shown immense potential at the domestic level.
In the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL), the 21-year-old represented the Peshawar Zalmi and made quite a statement with the bat, scoring 345 runs in 11 matches, which included two fifties, at an average of 31.36 and a strike-rate of 157.53.
“Saim Ayub’s impact is extraordinary,” Hafeez was quoted as saying by journalist Farid Khan on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The Zalmi managed to reach the playoffs, but were eliminated after losing to the Multan Sultans in the Qualifier and eventual champions Islamabad United in Eliminator 2.
Pakistan’s next assignment will be a five-match T20I series against New Zealand in Rawalpindi and Lahore from April 18 to 27.
Pakistan Squad for New Zealand T20I Series: Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Amir, Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama Mir, Usman Khan, Zaman Khan
Non-travelling reserves: Haseebullah Khan, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha