Shahid Afridi: “You’re young and have a lot of cricket ahead of you, so take your time recovering”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Legendary Pakistan big-hitter Shahid Afridi believes opening batsman Saim Ayub has “a lot of cricket” ahead of him and urged him not to rush his return from the ankle injury he is currently recovering from.
Ayub fractured his ankle while fielding during the Test series against South Africa and was in a race against time to be fit for the 2025 Champions Trophy, which will be held from February 19 to March 9.
However, the 22-year-old was ultimately not included in Pakistan’s team for the tournament.
He was also not picked for the upcoming ODI tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa.
Afridi noted that while Ayub would be disappointed not to play in the Champions Trophy, he stressed the importance of letting his ankle heal properly.
“I talked to Saim Ayub… He told me that he needs three weeks, and only after that will his rehab begin. I advised him not to rush the process. Even the slightest injury, if not allowed to heal properly, can turn into a prolonged issue,” Afridi was quoted as saying by A Sports.
“You’re young and have a lot of cricket ahead of you, so take your time recovering.”
Prior to getting injured, Ayub was on fire with the bat as he accumulated 125 runs in three ODIs against Australia, which included a top score of 82, at an average of 41.66.
He followed that up with 155 runs in three ODIs against Zimbabwe, which included a career-best 113 not out, at an average of 77.50.
In the three-match T20I series, he ended up with 60 runs in two games at an average of 60.
Pakistan them embarked on a tour of South Africa and Ayub continued to dominate as he smashed 129 runs in two T20Is, which included a career-best knock of 98 not out, at an average of 129.
He then proceeded to amass 235 runs in three ODIs, which included two centuries, at an average of 78.33.
In the two-Test series, he made 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 due to the ankle injury he sustained.
Since he is still recovering, the Karachi native missed Pakistan’s two-Test series against the West Indies in Multan, which ended as a 1-1 draw.
Pakistan Squad for 2025 Champions Trophy: Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah
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