Babar Azam: “The way he changes the game in the first six overs is commendable”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan white-ball captain Babar Azam feels opening batsman Saim Ayub is a special talent as he has the ability to change the complexion of a game in the first six overs.
Ayub has shown how dominant he can be in the first few overs of a match, especially in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he plays alongside Azam for the Peshawar Zalmi.
The 21-year-old is still trying to find his footing in international cricket as he has yet to post a score of 50 or more, but Azam believes it is only a matter of time till that happens since the Karachi native gets off to flying starts when he is firing on all cylinders.
“The way he changes the game in the first six overs is commendable,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Ayub recently featured in Pakistan’s five-match T20I series against New Zealand and made 57 runs in five games at an average of 14.25 and a strike-rate of 129.54.
He then played in Pakistan’s three-match T20I series against Ireland and finished with 65 runs at an average of 21.66 and a strike-rate of 151.16.
In the four-match T20I series against England, he only mustered two runs in the one match he played.
Pakistan will now take part in the 2024 T20 World Cup, which is being played 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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