Fakhar Zaman: “I hope Saim recovers soon. For batsmen, regaining fitness takes time, but it is generally quicker than fast bowlers. So, I believe Saim will return very soon”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan top order batsman Fakhar Zaman is confident opener Saim Ayub “will return very soon” from the ankle injury he sustained during the Test series against South Africa.
Ayub fractured his ankle while fielding on the opening day of the 2nd Test in Cape Town and will be out of action for up to six weeks.
Zaman conceded that the injury came at the worst possible time for the 22-year-old as he is just starting to perform “at his peak”.
“It feels bad when a player on whom Pakistan has invested so much gets injured just as he starts performing at his peak. I believe these challenges are part of life, and to become a great player, you have to face them,” he told Cricket Pakistan.
“I hope Saim recovers soon. For batsmen, regaining fitness takes time, but it is generally quicker than fast bowlers. So, I believe Saim will return very soon.”
Prior to his injury, Ayub struck 125 runs in three ODIs against Australia, which included a top score of 82, at an average of 41.66.
He then toured Zimbabwe with the Pakistan team and kicked off his campaign with 155 runs in three ODIs, which included a career-best 113 not out, at an average of 77.50.
As for the T20I series, he amassed 60 runs in two games at an average of 60.
Ayub continued to shine during the tour of South Africa as he made 129 runs in two T20Is, which included a career-best knock of 98 not out, at an average of 129.
In the three ODIs that followed, he finished with 235 runs, which included two centuries, at an average of 78.33.
He then featured in the two-Test series, but scored 41 runs at an average of 20.50. It should be noted that he didn’t bat in the 2nd Test due to his injury.
Since Ayub is recovering, he didn’t play in Pakistan’s two-Test series against the West Indies in Multan, which ended as a 1-q draw.
The Karachi native is now in a race against time to be fit for the 2025 Champions Trophy, which will be held from February 19 to March 9.
Pakistan Squad for West Indies Test Series: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha
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