Fakhar Zaman Heaps Praise on Young Saim Ayub:
Pakistan’s victory over New Zealand in the first T20I at Lahore was due to the collective effort of the team, but it was young Saim Ayub’s crucial innings that caught the attention of Fakhar Zaman. Despite losing both their openers early on, Saim Ayub came in and steadied the ship with some aggressive stroke play. His innings of 47 off just 28 balls included six boundaries, as well as 2 maximums.
Fakhar Zaman, who himself played a vital knock of 43 off 40 balls, praised Saim Ayub for his performance in a post-match interview. He acknowledged the challenging conditions at the start of the innings and credited Saim Ayub for making things easier for the rest of the batters.
“The wicket was very challenging at the start, Babar and Rizwan were struggling a bit and I struggled too. But the ball was coming nicely after the powerplay and I think the way Saim played, more credit should be given to him since he made things easier for other batters,” said Fakhar in a post-match interview.
Fakhar also emphasized Saim Ayub’s extraordinary range of shots and predicted that he has the potential to win many matches for Pakistan in the future.
“I think he [Saim] is a great addition; his range of shots is amazing. I think we have a player after Babar, of course, it is a bit early now but if he keeps on working hard, he can serve Pakistan for a long and win us a lot of matches,” said Fakhar.
Saim Ayub, who made his debut for Pakistan earlier this year, has been in good form in domestic cricket. He has been a consistent performer for his team Southern Punjab in both the Pakistan Cup and the National T20 Cup.
The 22-year-old left-hander has a natural flair for stroke play and is known for his ability to find the gaps in the field.
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Fakhar Zaman’s comments about Saim Ayub reflect the positive spirit in the Pakistan team. Despite facing some challenges in recent times, the team has shown resilience and a willingness to back its young players. Babar Azam, the Pakistan captain, has also spoken about the importance of giving opportunities to new talent and building a strong pool of players for the future.
Pakistan will be hoping that Saim Ayub can continue his good form in the remaining matches against New Zealand and establish himself as a regular member of the T20I side. With the T20 World Cup coming up later this year, the team will be looking for players who can perform consistently under pressure. Saim Ayub’s performance in the first T20I has certainly caught the attention of the selectors and given them something to think about.
