Pakistan opener Saim Ayub: “I don’t prioritise this since it is a high-risk shot. I try to play the other shots more often and only play the no-look shot when it is absolutely necessary”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan opener Saim Ayub has become quite an expert at playing the no-look shot, but insisted that he doesn’t prioritise it.
Instead, the 21-year-old looks to play more orthodox strokes and only brings out the no-look shot “when it is absolutely necessary”.
Ayub is currently under close scrutiny as people are growing increasingly unsure about whether he should be in the Pakistan T20I team due to a string of low scores.
“I think it was the National T20 in 2022 where I played the no-look shot for the first time but it was not something that I had pre-planned. I was not able to find scoring options so when I saw that the fine leg was up in the circle, I played that shot. It was not my intention to not look at the shot, it just happened automatically,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
“However, I don’t prioritise this since it is a high-risk shot. I try to play the other shots more often and only play the no-look shot when it is absolutely necessary.”
In Pakistan’s recent five-match T20I series against New Zealand, Ayub amassed 57 runs at an average of 14.25 and a strike-rate of 129.54.
He then featured in the three-match T20I series against Ireland and finished with 65 runs at an average of 21.66 and a strike-rate of 151.16.
Pakistan are now facing England in a four-match T20I series and trail 1-0 after suffering a 23-run loss in the second game.
After this, the men in green will be in action in the 2024 T20 World Cup, which will take place 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
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