Saim Ayub picks Dream T20 XI; Leaves Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi

Young left-handed batter Saim Ayub has shared his dream T20I World XI with only one player from the Pakistan national cricket team in his ideal lineup. The opening batter surprisingly overlooked his teammates like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, and others in his dream T20 XI.

Saim Ayub has made his return to professional cricket after being sidelined for several months due to an ankle injury suffered during Pakistan's Test series against South Africa in December 2024. The setback forced him to miss major tournaments, including the Champions Trophy and a home ODI tri-series.

He has faced challenges with his batting form while playing for Peshawar Zalmi. He has scored only 119 runs in eight matches, with an average of 14.87 and a strike rate of 117.82. Notably, he scored 50 runs in a single innings, and he managed 49 runs in another game against Multan Sultans on May 5.

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

Saim Ayub Reveals His Dream T20 XI, Leaves Out Babar Azam

During a recent appearance on the Off Topic Zalmi podcast, Saim Ayub was asked to pick his World T20I XI, with a maximum of two players per country. However, the 22-year-old cricketer included just one Pakistani cricketer—Fakhar Zaman—as an opener.

Ayub paired Fakhar with Australia's aggressive left-hander Travis Head at the top of the order. For the number three slot, Saim chose England's experienced wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler, leaving out Pakistan players Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.

Team India veteran cricketers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have retired from international T20 cricket. They were left out of the lineup. Both players announced their retirement after leading India to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa.

Ben Stokes Secures Place in Saim Ayub's Dream T20 XI

The young batter picked a mix of power hitters and all-rounders in the lineup. He selected West Indies batter Nicholas Pooran and South Africa cricketer Heinrich Klaasen as his middle-order power-hitters. They are known for their explosive batting abilities. He opted for England’s Ben Stokes for the number six.

For the all-round department, Saim picked Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya, Afghanistan bowler Rashid Khan, and New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner. These three players can contribute with both batting and bowling, especially in the shorter format.

Jasprit Bumrah and Mitchell Starc Complete Saim Ayub's Bowling Attack

Ayub has selected two of the best fast bowlers in T20 cricket – India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Australia’s Mitchell Starc – to complete his bowling attack. Both players are renowned for their pace and skill in the shorter format of the game.

Saim Ayub’s world T20I playing XI: Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan), Travis Head (Australia), Jos Buttler (England), Nicholas Pooran (West Indies), Heinrich Klaasen (South Africa), Ben Stokes (England), Hardik Pandya (India), Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Mitchell Santner (New Zealand), Jasprit Bumrah (India), Mitchell Starc (Australia)

Also read: Watch: Varun Aaron destroys Rohit Sharma in Commentary; alleges deliberate hiding from Mohammed Siraj