Saim Ayub: “My target is Man of the Match, not fifty or a hundred. I don’t think about numbers as I aim to win the match for my team. It can be any figure, 50, 70 or 100, but I don’t think about that since I’m focused on winning the match”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan opening batsman Saim Ayub has revealed that his priority is not to score fifties and hundreds, but to win Man of the Match awards.
He noted that he doesn’t think about big scores as he is fully focused on helping the men in green win matches and become the top side in the world.
Ayub’s comments come at a time where people have begun to question whether he belongs in the national team as he has scored 284 runs in 20 T20Is at an average of 15.77 and a strike-rate of 130.87.
“My target is Man of the Match, not fifty or a hundred. I don’t think about numbers as I aim to win the match for my team. It can be any figure, 50, 70 or 100, but I don’t think about that since I’m focused on winning the match,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Ayub recently scored 57 runs at an average of 14.25 and a strike-rate of 129.54 in Pakistan’s five-match T20I series against New Zealand.
He then proceeded to make 65 runs in three T20Is against Ireland at an average of 21.66 and a strike-rate of 151.16.
Pakistan are now taking on England in a four-match T20I series, which is tied at 0-0 after the first game was washed out.
Afterwards, the men in green will take part in the 2024 T20 World Cup, which will be held in the West Indies and United States of America from June 1 to 29.
Pakistan’s first T20 World Cup game will be against the United States of America in Dallas on June 6.
Pakistan Squad for Ireland and England T20I Series: Babar Azam (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan
Pakistan Squad for 2024 T20 World Cup: Babar Azam (capt), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan (wk), Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed