Pakistan’s fiery opener, Saim Ayub, has been ruled out of the ongoing Pakistan vs South Africa Test at Newlands, Cape Town. The left-handed batter was stretchered off the field after he twisted his ankle while fielding at deep third on the first day of the Test.
It happened in the seventh over on day one when Ayub ran chasing the ball after Ryan Rickleton edged it past the slip cordon. Aamer Jamal joined him in the chase and threw the ball in, with Saim standing as a backup fielder. It was right then that he twisted his right ankle and fell to the ground almost instantly. Following his fall, the physio ran in and the opening batter was treated at the fringes for a long time but his pain, which was very visible from the grimace on his face, forced him off the field. The young batter was taken to the hospital, where the scans confirmed his exclusion from the team for the remainder of the match.
A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) release said that Saim’s medical reports have been sent to specialists in London for further consultation about treatment and layoff from the game.
“Opening batter Saim Ayub has been ruled out of the ongoing Cape Town Test against South Africa after twisting his right ankle while fielding at the deep third in the seventh over of the first day. Saim underwent X-rays and MRI tests this afternoon and the reports have been sent to specialists in London for further advice on the treatment and time away from competitive cricket.” the release read.
Pakistan are already one down in the series, and with a flat deck on offer at Newlands in the ongoing Test match, this would be hugely demoralizing for the visitors. Especially, because Saim has been the side’s top performer in the last few months. Salman Ali Agha expressed the same sentiment at the close of play on day one,
“It’s a big blow, the kind of form he’s in. He would have been a great asset on this wicket. I wish him well and hopefully he’ll be better soon.”
However, the bigger horror for Pakistan is the doubt looming over the southpaw’s participation in the upcoming Champions Trophy. The exact duration of Saim Ayub’s absence from competitive cricket is uncertain as of now but with the Champions Trophy only a month away, things do not look too promising for him and the men in green.
Saim has been in some form lately. He scored 235 runs at a staggering average of 78.3 during the ODI leg of this tour, for which he was eventually awarded the Player of the Series award. He started his career as someone with raw hard-hitting skills but was quick to bring some serenity to his game, as was seen in his incredible show of batting prowess against South Africa last month. Owing to the brilliant form that he maintained throughout the year, he has been nominated for the ICC Emerging Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2024 award.
