Mohammad Hafeez: “Saim Ayub will not be ruled out of the Champions Trophy”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez is confident that opening batsman Saim Ayub won’t miss the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Doubts continue to linger about whether the 22-year-old will be fit in time for the tournament after he fractured his ankle during the Test series against South Africa.
With the Champions Trophy starting on February 19, Hafeez insisted there is enough time for Ayub to make a full recovery.
“Saim Ayub will not be ruled out of the Champions Trophy,” he told Samaa TV.
Prior to his injury, Ayub was an unstoppable force as he scored 125 runs in three ODIs against Australia, which included a top score of 82, at an average of 41.66.
He then went to Zimbabwe with the Pakistan team and amassed 155 runs in three ODIs, which included a career-best 113 not out, at an average of 77.50.
In the T20I series that followed, he finished with 60 runs in two matches at an average of 60.
Pakistan then travelled to South Africa and Ayub began by smashing 129 runs in two T20Is, which included a career-best knock of 98 not out, at an average of 129.
He continued to dominate in the ODI series, accumulating 235 runs in three matches, which included two centuries, at an average of 78.33.
As for the two-Test series, he ended up with 41 runs at an average of 20.50. However, it should be noted that he didn’t bat in the 2nd Test in Cape Town as he injured his ankle while fielding on the opening day.
Since he is on the road to recovery, Ayub was not picked for Pakistan’s two-Test series against the West Indies in Multan, which ended as a 1-1 draw.
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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