The left-handed opener holds a T20I century against his name.
Making headlines as a cricketer is one of the dreams for any budding players. Saim Ayub must have had a similar dream. We’re safe to say that he has fulfilled it, but the Pakistani opener has made his way into an unwanted list. To add to the already existing plenty, another Saim Ayub duck has propelled the 23-year-old to break into the list of the most ducks in a calendar year in T20Is (7), among full member nations.
The left-handed opener could not get going in the third T20I against South Africa either, and succumbed to Corbin Bosch, handing the Proteas their first wicket. The series hung in the balance after each side had scalped a victory each. Prior to the T20I series, the two-match Test series also ended in a draw after both the teams ran away with a game each.
However, Saim Ayub’s inconsistency at the top of the order is a growing concern for the Asians. Especially with the T20 World Cup scheduled to be played early next year, they would want their gun opener to perform well. But his performances in the recent past, except the first two T20Is against South Africa have not shown any signs of promise, which will be a headache for the Shaheens.
First things first, there is absolutely no doubt about the ability that the young opener possesses. Ayub is extremely able as an opener, and his century against South Africa away from home speaks volumes of the game that he displays. However, there have been certain patterns which have been repeated in the way he has gotten dismissed.
These patterns have been developing right from the Asia Cup 2025. In the first two matches against Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Ayub got out while going hard at the ball in the early phases of the innings. Both times, he lost control. To add to that, on a couple of occasions in the tournament, he slashed too hard at the ball, losing his wicket after granting easy catches.
Though the format invites players to go hard from the word go, there needs to be a balance between watchfulness and aggression. Having said that, the 23-year-old is losing his shape too often in the process of going for the big shots. In the bargain, this is making him lose his wicket. Amongst all nations, Ayub holds the joint-most ducks in a calendar year in T20Is.
In the third T20I against South Africa as well, the left-handed batter went for the big shot, trying to go over mid-on, but was caught by Donovan Ferreira. In the second T20I, he scored a blistering 71 off just 38 deliveries, returning unbeaten in a chase of 111. In the first T20I as well, he added a crucial 37 runs, but they weren’t enough for the hosts to get home.
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| PLAYER | NO. OF DUCKS IN A CALENDAR YEAR |
| Saim Ayub (PAK) | 7 |
| Richard Ngarava (ZIM) | 6 |
| Regis Chakabva (ZIM) | 5 |
| Blessing Muzarabani (ZIM) | 5 |
| Sanju Samson (IND) | 5 |
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