Asad Shafiq: “Whenever Saim is fit, he will make a comeback”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan selector Asad Shafiq has announced that opening batsman Saim Ayub will return to the national team when he makes a full recovery from the ankle injury he sustained.
Ayub fractured his ankle while fielding during the 2nd Test against South Africa in January 2025.
However, since the 22-year-old was in red-hot form prior to his injury, Shafiq seemingly confirmed that he will immediately get his spot back when he is ready to return.
“Whenever Saim is fit, he will make a comeback,” he was quoted as saying by Samaa TV.
Before suffering his injury, Ayub had 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.
While recovering, Ayub missed Pakistan’s two-Test series against the West Indies, the ODI tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa, the 2025 Champions Trophy, and Pakistan’s limited overs tour of New Zealand.
He is set to make a comeback in the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he will represent the Peshawar Zalmi.
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