Shoaib Malik: “Saim Ayub needs to bring back the same mindset he had before the injury”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Veteran Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik has advised opening batsman Saim Ayub to “bring back the same mindset he had” before fracturing his ankle in January 2025.
Prior to the injury, Ayub was unstoppable with the bat as he 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.
After returning from injury, the 23-year-old has found it difficult to maintain his dominance, as his form has shown significant inconsistency.
Knowing the Karachi-born batsman possesses immense talent, Malik urged him to quickly find a way to get back to his best.
“Saim Ayub needs to bring back the same mindset he had before the injury,” he was quoted as saying by TOK Sports on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Ayub recently featured in the 2025 Asia Cup, where he made 37 runs in seven games at an average of 5.28 and a strike-rate of 97.36.
He subsequently did not feature in Pakistan’s two-Test series against South Africa, which ended as a 1-1 draw.
However, he is currently in action in the three-match T20I series against the Proteas and has accumulated 108 runs in two games, which includes a top score of 71 not out, at an average of 108 and a strike-rate of 163.63.
Following the T20Is, Pakistan and South Africa will face each other in a three-match ODI series between November 4 and 8.
Pakistan will then take on Sri Lanka in a three-match ODI series from November 11 to 15 before participating in a T20I tri-series alongside Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe from November 17 to 29.
Pakistan squad for South Africa T20I Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq
Reserves: Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem
Pakistan squad for South Africa ODI Series: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha
Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka ODI Series: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha
Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe T20I Tri-Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq
Reserves: Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem
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