Like all younger cricketer, Saim Ayub has confronted criticism from former Pakistan gamers on TV reveals. The teen, who gained fame for his “no-look pictures” within the Pakistan Tremendous League (PSL) and Caribbean Premier League (CPL), was harshly criticized by Pakistan’s former cricketers for getting out enjoying the identical shot time and again.
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal even known as for his exclusion after Saim received out enjoying a reckless shot in a Take a look at match towards Bangladesh earlier this yr. “Truthfully, if I had been in cost, I swear I wouldn’t let Saim close to the workforce for the following two years after the way in which he received out within the first innings of the second Take a look at, particularly after scoring 50 runs,” Akmal had mentioned on a TV present.
Troubled by the cruel criticism, Saim turned to his childhood coach Mohammad Masroor, who’s now Pakistan’s fielding coach. Masroor inspired him by pointing to the instance of Rishabh Pant, a fellow left-hander from throughout the border who had additionally confronted intense criticism from cricket consultants after getting out throughout the 2019 World Cup semi-final.
8️⃣2️⃣ runs
7️⃣1️⃣ balls
5️⃣ fours
6️⃣ sixesBLAZING knock by @SaimAyub7 🔥
Finish of a 137-run stand – Pakistan’s second-highest opening partnership towards Australia in ODIs 💫#AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/uQZJtVtog3— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 8, 2024
“The instance of Rishabh Pant was there for him to see. He saved getting out enjoying these pictures, and the pundits in India wrote him off, calling him reckless and questioning his temperament. However they forgot that aggressive cricket is Rishabh’s power,” Masroor advised The Indian Specific earlier than the sequence started.
Saim Ayub with coach Masroor forward of his first-class debut for Karachi
Saim, who had performed 23 T20Is and 6 Assessments, had but to make a major impression. Nevertheless, he was lucky to have the help of the Pakistan workforce administration, and on Friday, he confirmed his potential. Enjoying in solely his second ODI, towards the World Champions and maybe one of the best bowling assault on the earth, the left-hander scored 82 off 71 balls, which included 5 boundaries and 6 sixes. His sixes—whether or not the pull shot towards Cummins, the pick-up shot towards Mitchell Starc, or his highly effective shot towards leg-spinner Adam Zampa—confirmed that the 22-year-old has what it takes to thrive on the worldwide stage and will turn into a formidable participant throughout all codecs.
“Michael Vaughan and Adam Gilchrist need him to succeed. The boy is particular. We simply have to have religion and provides him time to mature,” Masroor mentioned.
That is Saim’s third journey to Australia. He made his Take a look at debut earlier this yr in Sydney. However his first go to to those shores was in 2018 because the captain of Pakistan U-16. “In Melbourne, we had been chasing 260-odd runs, and I bear in mind Saim scored 150. That was some knock,” Masroor recalled.
Masroor noticed Saim in a faculty event in Karachi, the place he was invited as a chief visitor. He received him enrolled within the Rashid Latif Cricket Academy, regardless of opposition from Saim’s father, who labored for a multinational firm in Karachi. “He comes from a household of execs, the place the main focus was extra on research and his father wished him to succeed academically. I needed to put in some effort to persuade his father to let him play,” he mentioned.
What fascinated Masroor about Saim from an early age was his capability to deal with tempo and bounce.
A younger Saim Ayub along with his coach Mohammad Masroor
“He cuts and pulls rather well. He has all these trendy strokes in his repertoire. As soon as he settles, he at all times scores huge. Underneath his captaincy, Karachi received the U-16 title twice in a row, with him scoring 4 centuries in each seasons,” Masroor remembered.
Like many younger Pakistani cricketers, Saim initially wished to be a pacer. In actual fact, till his U-19 days, he used to open the innings with each bat and ball for his groups.
“He was a swing bowler, and I have to say, an honest one,” Masroor reminisced. “He used to bowl 5 overs of medium tempo with the brand new ball after which off-spin.”
On Friday, when Saim was launched into the assault, he instantly troubled Aaron Hardie along with his carrom ball. Adam Gilchrist, on commentary, in contrast him to the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
“He’s somebody who can bowl leg-spin to right-handers and off-spin to left-handers. The final time I noticed somebody try this was Sachin Tendulkar,” Gilchrist mentioned.
Saim just lately added the carrom ball to his abilities whereas enjoying in franchise leagues worldwide.
“Now you could add extra abilities. He has labored on his carrom ball and developed different variations. He’s efficient with the ball however nonetheless has room for enchancment,” Masroor mentioned.
With the three-match sequence tied 1-1, the decider might be performed in Perth on Sunday.