Shoaib Akhtar: “There cannot be a more dangerous opening pair than this”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Legendary Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar believes there “cannot be a more dangerous opening pair” than Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman.
Both Ayub and Zaman are known for being attacking batsmen who can strike plenty of boundaries.
Given how they are capable of scoring quick runs, Akhtar feels they should be Pakistan’s go-to openers in limited overs cricket.
“There cannot be a more dangerous opening pair than this,” the Rawalpindi Express was quoted as saying on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Ayub recently featured in Pakistan’s three-match T20I series against South Africa, where he made 108 runs in three T20Is, which included an unbeaten 71, at an average of 54 and a strike rate of 150.
He maintained his momentum going into the three-match ODI series as he amassed 169 runs, which included two fifties, at an average of 56.33.
Zaman, meanwhile, mustered 45 runs at an average of 15.
Ayub suffered a dip in form during the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka as he was restricted to 39 runs in two games at an average of 19.50.
Zaman, on the other hand, put on a show, accumulating 165 runs in three games, which included two fifties, at an average of 55.
Ayub and Zaman were then involved in Pakistan’s T20I tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, with the former scoring 118 runs in five matches at an average of 23.60 and a strike-rate of 114.56.
As for Zaman, he finished with 75 runs in five games at an average of 25 and a strike-rate of 150.