Salman Butt: “Saim Ayub needs to work on his shot selection. Unfortunately he does not look worried [about] his batting performance”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has criticised opener Saim Ayub for appearing unconcerned about his disappointing batting performances.
Ayub has been in the T20I team for quite some time, but has not been able to score runs consistently.
The 24-year-old has made 1,298 runs in 67 T20Is, which includes six fifties, at an average of 21.27 and a strike-rate of 135.91.
While he has developed into a handy spin bowler for the men in green, Salman stressed that the Karachi native should focus on improving his batting, as that remains the primary reason for his selection.
“Saim Ayub needs to work on his shot selection. Unfortunately he does not look worried [about] his batting performance,” he was quoted as saying by journalist Arfa Feroz Zake on X.
Ayub was not picked for Pakistan’s ongoing two-Test series against the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago, where the men in green find themselves 1-0 down after losing the 1st Test by 90 runs.
After their tour of the West Indies concludes, Pakistan will travel to England for three Tests from August 19 to September 13.
Pakistan Squad for West Indies Test Series: Babar Azam (captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Awais Zafar, Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah
Pakistan Squad for England Test Series: Babar Azam (captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Awais Zafar, Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel (subject to fitness), Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah