Saim Ayub: “He is finding gaps all the time, and in case he doesn’t, I try to fill that void”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan opener Saim Ayub said if limited overs captain Babar Azam is in a situation where he is struggling to find the gaps when batting, he will step up and play the supporting role to “fill that void.”
Ayub has become accustomed to opening the batting with Azam as they have forged a lethal partnership at the top of the order while playing for the Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Since both batsmen know each other very well, Ayub acknowledged that he can take the lead in boosting the scoring rate if Azam is unable to.
“He is finding gaps all the time, and in case he doesn’t, I try to fill that void,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Ayub recently represented the Zalmi in the 2024 PSL and accumulated 345 runs in 11 matches, which included two half-centuries, at an average of 31.36 and a strike-rate of 157.53.
Azam, who captained the franchise, finished as the highest run-scorer in PSL 9 with 569 runs in 11 games, which included a century and five fifties, at an average of 56.90 and a strike-rate of 142.60.
The Zalmi managed to reach the playoffs, but lost to the Multan Sultans in the Qualifier and Islamabad United in Eliminator 2, which ended their campaign.
Azam and Ayub are now featuring in Pakistan’s five-match T20I series against New Zealand and made 14 and 4 runs respectively in the second T20I, which the men in green won by seven wickets.
Azam and Ayub then scored 37 and 32 respectively in the third T20I, but their efforts went in vain as New Zealand bounced back to claim a seven-wicket win.
The series is tied 1-1 going into the fourth T20I, which will be held on April 25 in Lahore.
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
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