Tag: Saim Ayub

DUBAI: Pakistan top-order batter Saim Ayub continued his rise in the latest ICC Men’s T20I All-Rounder Rankings on Wednesday.

The recent rankings update saw Pakistan players suffering a decline in the charts, owing to the crushing defeat in the high-octane Asia Cup 2025 clash against arch-rivals India.

In the batting rankings, discarded batter Babar Azam remained Pakistan’s highest-ranked player despite dropping two places to 26th with 580 rating points.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Rizwan, who is also out of the side, is the second-best from the country, occupying 33rd spot.

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Saim Ayub, who registered back-to-back ducks in the Asia Cup 2025, slipped to 46th place after dropping five spots, followed by Hasan Nawaz at 47th.

Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha dropped ten spots, slipping to 67th, and senior batter Fakhar Zaman slipped one place to 69th.

Sahibzada Farhan, who scored 40 off 44 against India, is the only Pakistan batter to make some gains as he jumped 18 places to 56th.

On the bowling front, spinners Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed made significant progress, moving up to the 11th and 16th spots, respectively.

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Pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi fell five places to 27th, while all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz dropped to the 33rd spot.

Fast bowler Haris Rauf, who has yet to play in the Asia Cup 2025, also dropped two spots to 37th place.

Meanwhile, Saim Ayub, having taken five wickets in the tournament so far, jumped four places to reach 6th spot in the ICC T20I All-Rounder Rankings.

He was Pakistan’s only wicket-taker in the match against India, returning with figures of 3-35.

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Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar appeared to take a veiled dig at young opener Saim Ayub after the left-hander fell for a golden duck in the Asia Cup 2025 clash against Oman.

Ayub’s stay lasted just one ball as he misjudged a delivery that kept low while attempting a pick-up shot.

Struck on the back leg, he opted for DRS, but ball-tracking showed the delivery crashing into middle stump. Pakistan were reduced to 4-1 inside the first over, with Ayub walking back alongside the lost review.

Speaking during a post-match discussion on a local sports platform, Shoaib Akhtar underlined the importance of reading the game and settling at the crease, rather than relying on flamboyance.

“For a batsman, it’s about feeling the ball on the bat, judging the placement, the length, the bounce, and adjusting technique accordingly,” Akhtar said.

“You don’t need too much movement. Within two to four balls, a batter gets the feel. It’s not about playing no-look shots; it’s about understanding the game.”

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While Akhtar did not mention Saim Ayub directly, his remarks seemed to point towards the youngster’s costly first-ball dismissal.

Despite the early setback, Pakistan went on to dominate the contest. Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris played a blistering knock of 66 off 43 balls, laced with seven fours and three sixes.

Contributions from Sahibzada Farhan (29), Fakhar Zaman (23),* and Mohammad Nawaz (19) helped Pakistan post 160/7 in 20 overs.

In response, Oman collapsed under relentless pressure, folding for just 67 in 16.4 overs.

The bowling unit fired in unison as Saim Ayub, Sufiyan Muqeem, and Faheem Ashraf grabbed two wickets each, while Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, and Nawaz chipped in with one apiece.

The comprehensive 93-run victory gave Pakistan a flying start to their campaign, moving them to second in Group A with two points and a healthy net run rate of +4.650.

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Pakistan Test batter Fawad Alam has weighed in on the ongoing debate sparked by Fakhar Zaman’s remarks, where the opener labelled rising star Saim Ayub as the “updated version” of Babar Azam.

In a recent interview, Fawad dismissed such comparisons, calling them unfair to Pakistan’s former skipper.

He stressed that Babar’s body of work, both internationally and domestically, stands in a league of its own.

“In my opinion, such statements shouldn’t be made. You can’t compare anyone with Babar Azam,” Fawad said.

“He has delivered exceptional performances in all three formats. Even before he broke into the national team, his quality was evident in domestic cricket. I’ve seen first-hand that no one in the current setup comes close to him.”

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The conversation was triggered by a video shared by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), where Fakhar praised Ayub’s flair and potential.

“Someone asked me in Lahore, and I told them Saim is Babar Azam’s updated version,” Fakhar had remarked.

“He is a very different player, and I believe he has not yet revealed 80 percent of his talent to the world.”

Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson also weighed in, acknowledging that Ayub is still finding his feet but already influencing outcomes.

“Look, Saim is a key player for us. If he scores runs, Pakistan usually wins,” Hesson said.

“It’s less about the volume of contributions and more about their impact, and Saim has shown he can be a match-winner.”

READ: Wasim Akram urges Pakistan to focus on Asia Cup glory beyond India clash

DUBAI: Pakistan top-order batter Fakhar Zaman has heaped high praise on  Saim Ayub, calling him an updated version of Babar Azam.

Saim has represented Pakistan in 8 Tests, 12 ODIs, and 41 T20Is. The southpaw has made headlines with his elegant strokeplay. His best in ODIs came against South Africa in 2024, where he scored two centuries in a 3-0 whitewash for Pakistan.

Overall, in 41 T20Is, Saim Ayub has accumulated 816 runs at an average of 22.05 and a strike rate of 136.45 with the help of four half-centuries.

Now, Fakhar Zaman has praised Saim Ayub and stated that about the batter’s skill during a video appearance on the social media handle of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

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“Someone asked me in Lahore and I told him that he is Babar Azam’s updated version,” Fakhar said.

“He is a very different player and I think he has not yet shown 80 per cent of himself to the world,” he added.

Alongside Fakhar, Pakistan’s white-ball head coach also lauded Saim Ayub as a linchpin for the team.

“Look, Saim is a key player for us and we know that if Saim scores runs, we generally win,” Hesson stated.

“It’s not so much contributions, it’s a matter of if it’s your day, you wi,n and Saim is certainly one of those players,” he concluded.

READ: India vs Pakistan: New Faces, Same Old Fire in Asia Cup 2025

DUBAI: Pakistan’s rising star Saim Ayub achieved a career milestone on Wednesday, climbing to 10th spot in the ICC T20I all-rounder rankings.

The latest update saw several Pakistani cricketers make notable progress following their strong showing in the recently concluded tri-nation series against Afghanistan and the UAE, which Pakistan won convincingly in the final.

In the batting charts, skipper Salman Ali Agha rose two spots to 57th with 505 rating points, while Fakhar Zaman enjoyed the biggest surge, jumping nine places to 68th.

However, no Pakistani batter features in the top 20.

Former mainstays Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who have been sidelined from T20Is since December 2024, slipped further down to 24th and 28th, respectively.

Hasan Nawaz (35th), Saim Ayub (41st), and Sahibzada Farhan (73rd) also dropped in the latest update.

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The T20I batting rankings continue to be led by India’s Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma, with England’s Phil Salt in third place.

On the bowling front, Pakistan also fell short of the top 10, but there were encouraging signs lower down.

Left-arm wrist spinner Sufiyan Muqeem moved up seven places to 15th, Shaheen Afridi climbed to 22nd, and Abrar Ahmed made the biggest leap by jumping 39 places to 27th.

Mohammad Nawaz also rose 13 spots to break into the top 30. New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy, England’s Adil Rashid, and the West Indies’ Akeal Hosein hold the top three spots.

Among all-rounders, Saim Ayub’s steady rise saw him break into the top 10, while Nawaz improved five places to reach 16th.

India’s Hardik Pandya continues to lead the category, followed by Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi and Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee.

READ: Wasim Akram urges Pakistan to reconsider Babar Azam for T20Is

Pakistan’s opening batters Saim Ayub and Imam-ul-Haq are among the 40 players from the country to have registered for the upcoming South Africa 20 (SA20) auction, set to be held in Johannesburg on September 9, 2025.

The fourth edition of SA20 will commence on December 26 and run until January 25.

The six teams in SA20 have a total purse of USD 7.4 million to spend on 84 available slots.

For Season 4, SA 20 has announced that each team will be allowed to have one Wildcard player—the player can be either a South African player or an overseas player whose salary falls outside the salary cap.

Notably, 784 players have signed up for the September 9 auction across the globe.

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From Pakistan, 40 former and current players have registered for the South Africa Premier T20 competition. The notable names are Azam Khan, Imam-ul-Haq, Abrar Ahmed, and Saim Ayub.

Interestingly, the six SA20 franchises —MI Cape Town, Joburg Super Kings, Durban Super Giants, Sunrisers Eastern Cape, Paarl Royals, and Pretoria Capitals—are owned by Indians.

It is noteworthy to mention that, during the previous three editions, no teams had ever included a Pakistani player in their squads.

Meanwhile, 150 players from England have listed their names in the Auction list, which also includes ace international players like Jason Roy and Alex Hales.

The curtain raiser and final of the tournament will be played at NewLands.

In the opening match of the SA20, defending champions MI Cape Town will face off against Durban’s Super Giants, with the final scheduled for January 25.

The Qualifier 1 of the event will be held in Durban on January 21, followed by the Eliminator in Centurion on January 23. The Qualifier 2 will take place on January 24.

For context, Sunrisers Eastern Cape is the most successful team so far, having won the opening two editions of SA 20 and finishing as runners-up in the last edition, falling short against MI Cape Town.

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DUBAI: Pakistan players have made major gains in the latest ICC Men’s T20I Rankings following their 2-1 series win over the West Indies, with Saim Ayub leading the charge.

Saim, who finished as the series’ top scorer with 130 runs including two half-centuries, climbed 25 places to break into the top 40 for the first time.

The left-hander now sits at 37th spot in the ICC T20I Batting Rankings with 559 rating points.

Opener Sahibzada Farhan also impressed with 91 runs across three innings, gaining 34 spots to reach 63rd.

Skipper Salman Ali Agha and experienced left-hander Fakhar Zaman moved up to 76th and 78th, respectively.

The biggest leap came from middle-order batter Hassan Nawaz, whose explosive 79-run tally pushed him up 24 places to 30th overall with 569 points.

However, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who haven’t featured in T20Is this year, both dropped three places to 17th and 19th, respectively.

Mohammad Haris also slid down 21 spots to 86th after a disappointing series.

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India’s Abhishek Sharma continues to lead the T20I batting charts, followed by Australia’s Travis Head and India’s Tilak Varma.

In the ICC T20I Bowling Rankings, no Pakistani bowler features in the top 20.

Haris Rauf retained 26th place, while Abbas Afridi slipped to 27th. The standout mover was left-arm spinner Sufiyan Muqeem, who jumped a massive 69 places to 34th.

Shaheen Afridi fell to 36th, while Mohammad Nawaz surged 51 spots to 56th. Abrar Ahmed and Shadab Khan slipped to 60th and 72nd, respectively.

Among all-rounders, Saim Ayub was again the biggest gainer, climbing 70 places to 24th in the ICC T20I All-Rounder Rankings after being credited for his part-time spin and all-round contributions.

Nawaz rose to 36th, but Shadab dropped to 19th. Iftikhar Ahmed and Faheem Ashraf now sit at 70th and 77th.

India’s Hardik Pandya leads the all-rounders’ list, with Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee and Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi in second and third.

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LAUDERHILL: Saim Ayub put in a solid all-round performance and Mohammad Nawaz delivered a brilliant spell as Pakistan sealed a 14-run win over West Indies in the first T20I at the Central Broward Regional Park on Thursday.

Defending 179, Pakistan restricted the hosts to 164-7 despite a steady start by the openers. Johnson Charles and Jewel Andrew stitched a 72-run partnership off 67 balls, but their cautious approach allowed the asking rate to balloon.

Then Nawaz came to bowl the 12th over, which was his final over, and turned the game on its head.

The left-arm spinner struck thrice in six balls, removing Andrew (35 off 33), Charles (35 off 36), and the promoted Gudakesh Motie, who bagged a golden duck.

Things went further south when Saim Ayub chipped in with the ball, removing captain Shai Hope (2) and Sherfane Rutherford (13) in successive overs.

The hosts collapsed to 114-7 in 17 overs, needing 65 off the last 18 balls.

Jason Holder (30* off 12) and Shamar Joseph (21* off 12) did swing hard at the end, but the damage had already been done.

Pakistan walked away with a comfortable 14-run win to go 1-0 up in the series against the West Indies.

Mohammad Nawaz finished with 3-23, while Saim grabbed 2-20. Shaheen Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem also chipped in with one wicket each.

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Earlier, after being sent in to bat, Pakistan put up 178-6 in their 20 overs against the West Indies, a total built largely on Saim’s classy knock.

The left-hander struck his second T20I fifty, scoring a fluent 57 off 38 with five fours and two sixes.

His 81-run partnership with Fakhar Zaman (28 off 24) laid the foundation after Sahibzada Farhan (14) fell early to a sharp Shamar Joseph delivery.

Saim Ayub brought up his fifty in style before being removed by Holder in the 12th over. Fakhar soon followed, and the innings briefly stuttered.

Hassan Nawaz added a quick 24 off 18, while Faheem Ashraf (16 off 9) and skipper Salman Ali Agha (11* off 7) ensured a strong finish.

For the West Indies, Joseph impressed with 3-30, while Holder, Hosein, and Shepherd claimed one wicket each.

The second T20I between Pakistan and the West Indies will be played at the same venue on 3 August.

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KARACHI: Fakhar Zaman and Hasan Nawaz starred as Saim Ayub XI outplayed Salman Agha XI by seven wickets in an intra-squad practice match here on Friday.

The match was held at the National Bank Stadium during Pakistan’s third day of training camp in preparation for the upcoming three-match series against Bangladesh.

Salman Agha XI scored 183-8 while batting first, with Hussain Talat top-scoring with 40. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who are not part of the T20I squad, scored 33 and 24 runs respectively, while Salman Agha scored 32

For Saim Ayub XI, pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi and all-rounder Mohammad Wasim Jnr picked up two wickets each. Mohammad Nawaz and Abrar Ahmed also scalped one wicket.

In reply, Saim Ayub XI successfully chased the 184-run target, losing only three wickets in the process. Fakhar Zaman (51) and Saim Ayub (34) showed good form, while middle-order batter Hasan Nawaz contributed with a solid 57 runs. Mohammad Haris also chipped in with 25 runs.

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For Salman Agha XI, Sufiyan Moqim scalped two wickets and Khushdil Shah took one wicket.

It is noteworthy to mention that, apart from the squad members, five additional players are also part of the training camp. These players include Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, and Mohammad Wasim Jr.

The 15-member Pakistan squad is training for a week before departing for Bangladesh on 16 July.

After wrapping up the Bangladesh tour, the Green Shirts will travel to the United States of America (USA) to face the West Indies in a three-match T20I series in Florida, set to take place from August 1 to 4.

Both sides will then head to Trinidad and Tobago for a three-match ODI series scheduled between August 8 and 12.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is expected to announce the final T20I and ODI squads for both assignments in the coming days.

Pakistan squad for Bangladesh series:

Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, and Sufyan Moqim

Pakistan-Bangladesh T20I Series Schedule 

20 July – First T20I at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka (6pm local time)

22 July – Second T20I at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka (6pm local time)

24 July – Third T20I at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka (6pm local time)

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MULTAN: Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam praised Saim Ayub for his composed knock against Multan Sultans in the 25th match of the Pakistan Super League PSL (10) here on Monday.

Peshawar Zalmi chased down the modest total of 109 in 13 overs, losing just three wickets in the process.

Saim Ayub returned to form, scoring 49 off 33 balls, striking four fours and three sixes.

During the post-match presentation, Babar Azam lauded Saim Ayub for his much-awaited knock.

“I want to particularly mention Saim Ayub’s knock. We were all eagerly waiting for him to come good, and thankfully, he scored a few runs tonight,” he said.

Babar Azam deemed Saim crucial for Peshawar Zalmi, calling him a game-changer.

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“As we know, his form is crucial for Peshawar Zalmi. He has the ability to turn the game around when he’s in good form. He’s a game-changer, and tonight showed that he’s coming back into form,” he added.

Babar Azam mentioned that the break seemed to benefit him. He noted that as a young player, it’s important for Saim Ayub to learn to push through difficult times.

“I think the break really helped him. He’s a young player, and we want him to fight through the tough patches.”

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Babar Azam praised bowlers for making early inroads while highlighting the continuous bowling change.

“I think we weren’t expecting the pitch to behave the way it did, but credit should go to our bowlers. When a team takes early wickets, the opposition feels the pressure, and we managed to keep adding more pressure with each bowling change, ” he explained.

He emphasized execution while revealing the team’s plan against Multan Sultans’ batting unit.

“The balls bowled on a good length came on to the bat in a two-paced manner. Our plan was simple: hit the pitch hard and bowl according to the field, and that’s why we could restrict them to such a low total,” Babar said.

READ: ‘We failed to execute our plans’: Mohammad Rizwan on loss to Peshawar Zalmi