Basit Ali: “Saim Ayub – batting coach, look at his backlift and work on it”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali is aware that opening batsman Saim Ayub has a backlift problem and urged batting coach Hanif Malik to work on it with him.
Ayub’s form has cooled down significantly as of late, especially in the ongoing 2025 Asia Cup, where he has scored three ducks in a row.
With an unwanted hat-trick of zeroes to his name, Basit noted that there is work to be done if the 23-year-old is to start dominating again.
“Saim Ayub – batting coach, look at his backlift and work on it,” he said on his YouTube channel as quoted by Geo Super.
Prior to the Asia Cup, Ayub featured in Pakistan’s three-match T20I series against Bangladesh in Lahore and made 49 runs at an average of 16.33 and a strike-rate of 144.11.
The men in green then toured Bangladesh for three T20Is and he struck 28 runs at an average of 9.33 and a strike-rate of 121.73.
As for the tour of the West Indies, Ayub started off with 130 runs in three T20Is, which included two fifties, at an average of 43.33 and a strike-rate of 135.41.
The Karachi-born batsman then mustered 28 runs in the three-match ODI series at an average of 9.33.
Following the West Indies tour, Pakistan faced the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Afghanistan in a T20I tri-series in Sharjah, which they won.
Ayub finished the tournament with 111 runs in five games, which included a top score of 69, at an average of 22.20 and a strike-rate of 132.14.
In the ongoing Asia Cup, Pakistan have won two matches – against Oman and the UAE – and lost one game, which came against India.
Having made it through to the Super Four stage, they will take on India once again on September 21 in Dubai.
Pakistan squad for UAE T20I tri-series and 2025 Asia Cup: 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, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem
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