Salman Ali Agha: “We will certainly miss Saim Ayub, who has been a key player for us”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan T20I captain Salman Ali Agha has admitted that the team is missing opening batsman Saim Ayub.
Ayub was ruled out of ODI tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa, and the 2025 Champions Trophy after fracturing his ankle during Pakistan’s two-Test series against South Africa.
He also missed the recent limited overs tour of New Zealand, where the men in green lost the T20I series 4-1 and the ODI series 3-0.
The injury was a major setback for the 22-year-old as he had been in red-hot form prior to it.
Ayub scored three ODI centuries and a career-best 98 not out in T20Is – all of which came during Pakistan’s tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa.
With Ayub having spent a lot of time on the sidelines, Salman acknowledged that it is a big blow for the men in green considering how well the youngster was batting.
“We will certainly miss Saim Ayub, who has been a key player for us,” the 31-year-old was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Ayub is set to make his comeback in the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he will play for the Peshawar Zalmi.
Salman, meanwhile, will represent Islamabad United.
PSL 10 will be held from April 11 to May 18.
Peshawar Zalmi Squad for PSL 10:
- Platinum: Babar Azam (captain), Saim Ayub, Tom Kohler-Cadmore
- Diamond: Corbin Bosch, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Haris
- Gold: Abdul Samad, Hussain Talat, Nahid Rana
- Silver: Arif Yaqoob, Najibullah Zadran, Max Bryant, Mehran Mumtaz, Sufiyan Muqeem
- Emerging: Ali Raza, Maaz Sadaqat
- Supplementary: Ahmed Daniyal, Alzarri Joseph
Islamabad United Squad for PSL 10:
- Platinum: Matthew Short, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan (captain)
- Diamond: Imad Wasim, Azam Khan, Jason Holder
- Gold: Ben Dwarshuis, Salman Irshad, Salman Ali Agha, Haider Ali
- Silver: Andries Gous, Colin Munro, Mohammad Nawaz, Rumman Raees
- Emerging: Hunain Shah, Saad Masood
- Supplementary: Riley Meredith, Rassie van der Dussen