Wahab Riaz: “That’s why we need someone at the start, with Babar or Rizwan, and that we have in Saim’s form. He’s a more attacking player who can be aggressive at the top”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan selector Wahab Riaz believes Saim Ayub is the right man to be opening the batting in T20Is as he is “a more attacking player” who can get the team off to fast starts with his aggressive style of play.
Ayub has featured in 21 T20Is so far, but only managed to muster 286 runs at an average of 15.05 and a strike-rate of 127.67.
Despite not living up to expectations so far, Wahab is confident the 21-year-old will break the shackles and unleash the fiery form he has shown at the domestic level.
“That’s why we need someone at the start, with Babar or Rizwan, and that we have in Saim’s form. He’s a more attacking player who can be aggressive at the top,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Ayub scored 57 runs in Pakistan’s five-match T20I series against New Zealand at an average of 14.25 and a strike-rate of 129.54.
He then proceeded to make 65 runs at an average of 21.66 and a strike-rate of 151.16 in the three-match T20I series against Ireland.
In the four-match T20I series against England, he scored two runs in the one game he played.
The men in green will now take part in the 2024 T20 World Cup, which began on June 1 and will be held in the West Indies and United States of America.
Pakistan’s first T20 World Cup game will be against the United States of America in Dallas on June 6.
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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