Not Shubman Gill Or Yashasvi Jaiswal!! Michael Vaughan And Adam Gilchrist Predict A Pakistan Player To Be The Next Big Thing In World Cricket

Michael Vaughan and Adam Gilchrist, the two cricketing veterans, have lauded Saim Ayub’s explosion in international cricket. Pakistan’s new opener Saim Ayub has impressed everyone with his batting in the past few matches. He was unfortunate to be run out in the first T20I against New Zealand where he was looking brilliant scoring a quickfire 27 off just eight deliveries at a humongous strike rate of 337.5 smashing two fours and three sixes.

Saim Ayub has made his Test debut against Australia at the SCG and impressed the likes of Adam Gilchrist and Michael Vaughan in his second innings.

Saim Ayub scored a duck on his Test debut in the first innings but he scored 33 in the second innings where the whole team was bundled for just 115. He has been an impressive striker of the ball and has made his mark in domestic cricket with 1102 runs in just 28 innings at an average of 44.08 in first-class cricket. In T20s he has scored 1500 runs in 53 innings at a strike rate of 143.95, smashing 11 half-centuries.

Recently, on a podcast Adam Gilchrist and Michael Vaughan caught up on the recently concluded Test series between Australia and Pakistan. They were impressed with Pakistan’s performance and Michael Vaughan especially mentioned Saim Ayub as the next big thing in World Cricket. Vaughan was also impressed with Mohammad Hafeez and liked the way he was operating.

“I have to say, I thought Pakistan played nicely. I thought Australia would absolutely hammer them and let’s be honest, at MCG, if they would’ve caught, they would have probably won that game. And this week at the SCG, they caught but could not win, Australia may have chased even 250 but it was a lot closer than expected. Mohammad Hafeez, I mean I’ve had a bit of banter with him in the past but there’s something about the way he is operating that I like,” said Michael Vaughan.

“He’s very positive, he’s talking to the players in a very straight fashion. He got rid of Imam-ul-Haq. Saim Ayub, he might have only got, what? did he get 34 in the second innings? We’re going to promote him on this podcast. He is going to be potentially the next big thing in World Cricket as a batter,” he added.

Watch- Michael Vaughan and Adam Gilchrist Praising Saim Ayub

Both Gilly and Vaughany were impressed with Pakistan ?? in the recent Australia Series ?? and there’s one player they are going to keep a very close eye on for the future…? #ClubPrairieFire pic.twitter.com/Cc3Qmav1Wa

— Club Prairie Fire (@clubprairiefire) January 12, 2024

Saim Ayub has started opening for Pakistan in T20Is and Tests and has replaced Babar Azam in T20Is as an opener whereas, in Test cricket, he has taken Imam-ul-Haq‘s place. Babar Azam is now batting on No.3 in T20Is which is a known position for him given he bats at that position for Pakistan in the ODIs. Ayub impressed everyone with his power-hitting in the powerplay during the first T20I against New Zealand and if he had stayed at the crease for Pakistan, he could have taken the match away from the BlackCaps.

New Zealand won the first T20I against Pakistan by 46 runs as Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell showcased their batting prowess against the Men in Green and Tim Southee took a four-fer to rattle the lower order of Pakistan. The second T20I will be played at Seddon Park in Hamilton on January 14.