Who is Saim Ayub? 5 interesting facts about Pakistan opener set to debut in Sydney Test vs Australia
Saim Ayub is set to make his Test debut for Pakistan against Australia in Sydney, which starts on January 3. He replaces Imam-ul-Haq at the top of the order after the 28-year-old failed to make an impact in the previous two Tests.
Another change in the Pakistan playing XI for the third and final Test is the inclusion of Sajid Khan instead of Shaheen Afridi. The decision has been met with mixed responses, as Shaheen is Pakistan's pace spearhead. Moreover, playing in Australia with an extra spinner is not always wise.
Saim Ayub's debut has been long awaited by cricket aficionados, who are eager to see how the left-hander fares in international cricket. Imam, who he will be replacing, has struggled to rotate the strike in this series, which puts more pressure on the batting partner.
On that note, let's look at five interesting facts about Saim Ayub:
#1 Saim Ayub has played eight T20Is for Pakistan
Although this will be Saim Ayub's first Test for Pakistan, he has played eight T20Is for them in 2023. The opener impressed selectors during Pakistan Super League 2023, where he amassed 341 runs, the seventh-highest on the list of top run-getters that season.
Ayub has scored 123 runs in seven T20I innings, which is a modest record given the potential he has. On a positive note, he scored 49 against Afghanistan and a 28-ball 47 against New Zealand, which are good knocks. He has struggled for consistency, getting out on a duck on three occasions, which has brought down his average to just 17.57.
#2 He has a solid first-class record
Ayub's Test debut was bound to happen at some point due to his record in first-class cricket. He has scored 1069 runs in 26 innings at an average of 46.47 and a strike rate of 70 for Sindh. The opener has registered three centuries and as many half-centuries in first-class cricket so far, including the highest score of 203.
Having also scored 179 in List A cricket and 92 in T20 cricket for Sindh in his fledgling career so far, there are early signs of Ayub having the ability to play the long innings.
#3 He belongs to a cricketing family
Saim Ayub's father, Ahmed, and his uncle, Mohammed Javed, both played cricket at the club level. The 21-year-old batter played tape ball cricket from a very young age, due to the influence of his father and two elder brothers, which gave him an edge over boys in his age group.
#4 He has been compared to his idol, Saeed Anwar
Saim Ayub's idolizes Pakistani legend Saeed Anwar. It makes sense why Anwar would be an inspiration for Ayub, given that he is Pakistan's best opener of all time.
Ayub said during a media event during his team's training session in Lahore (via A Sports):
“Look, I have watched the videos of Saeed Anwar. I mostly watch videos of left-handers. But, at some point, he was also my age and was as famous as I am now. So, the way he became a legend, I will try to make a name for myself, and people will idolize me."
In his short career, he has already drawn comparisons with his idol, as he is also a left-handed opener who likes to play flamboyant strokes. Anwar was way ahead of his time in that he took the attack to the opposition when not many batters used to do it. Pakistan will hope that Ayub can come close to replicating Anwar's feats.
#5 Saim Ayub has impressed many former Pakistani cricketers
The hallmark of a bright talent is when he earns praise from former players. Ayub has got that in abundance, with Pakistani legends like Misbah-ul-Haq and Shoaib Malik rating him highly already. They feel he has the potential to be a match-winner for the country.