Pakistan opener Saim Ayub: “I have never taken the criticism of my no-look shots negatively. I always try to find the positive in everything. People talk about what they find different or eye-catching and I believe it’s just their way of showing affection”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan opening batsman Saim Ayub said criticism of his no-look shots doesn’t anger him at all.
Ayub likes to play such strokes as it is part of the aggressive brand of cricket he plays.
Instead of letting such criticism affect him in a negative manner, the 23-year-old chooses to look at it positively and feels it is simply people’s “way of showing affection”.
“I have never taken the criticism of my no-look shots negatively. I always try to find the positive in everything. People talk about what they find different or eye-catching and I believe it’s just their way of showing affection,” he was quoted as saying by Geo Super.
During the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL), Ayub represented the Peshawar Zalmi and accumulated 174 runs in 10 matches, which included a top score of 50, at an average of 17.40 and a strike-rate of 125.17.
He then went on to play in Pakistan’s three-match T20I series against Bangladesh and struck 49 runs at an average of 16.33 and a strike-rate of 144.11.
The Karachi native didn’t do much better during Pakistan’s tour of Bangladesh as he only made 28 runs in three T20Is at an average of 9.33 and a strike-rate of 121.73.
Pakistan are now touring the West Indies for three T20Is and three ODIs.
Ayub turned his fortunes around in the T20I series as he found some form and amassed 130 runs in three matches, which included two fifties, at an average of 43.33 and a strike-rate of 135.41.
He is now featuring in the three-match ODI series and hit five runs in the first match, which Pakistan won by five wickets.
The 2nd ODI will be held on August 10 in Trinidad.
Pakistan Squad for West Indies T20I Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem
Pakistan Squad for West Indies ODI Series: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem
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