Saim Ayub To Earn Pakistan Callup For During Australian Test Series?
Pakistan batter Saim Ayub (Daily Pakistan.com)
Pakistan Cricket Team find themselves in a rebuilding phase after World Cup 2023 fallout. As the men in green were ousted from the group stages, the dynamics of Pakistan cricket turned upside down.
Shortly after landing in Pakistan, captain Babar Azam relinquished his captaincy duties across all three formats of the game. Subsequently, Shaheen Shah Afridi was named a replacement for the T20 format, and Shan Massod was asked to lead the test side.
Besides, former pacer Wahab Riaz was elected as the chairperson of the selection committee, with former captain Mohammad Hafeez taking over as the director of Pakistan cricket.
Pakistan has a pivotal three-game test series coming up against mighty Australia in the latter's homeland. It's a daunting task for a side reeling under a massive setback.
Nonetheless, the newly formed leadership committee is committed to putting its best foot forward. Wahab Riaz, meanwhile, was recently spotted at the Pakistan Cup finals between Karachi and Peshawar. He apparently marked his attendance to scout a couple of players for the upcoming pre-series camp.
Before flying to Australia, PCB will host a week-long camp to select a balanced squad for the crucial series. As per the local media back in Pakistan, Sahibzada Farhan, left-hander Saim Ayub, and leading wicket-taker Khurram Shehzad will make the cut.
Wahab Riaz indirectly confirmed Ayub's selection by having an in-depth conversation with him during the PAK Cup finals held recently. Around the boundary rope, Riaz stopped Saim Ayub for a word, and netizens were certain that it was related to the upcoming camp.
Pakistan does equip a weak middle order, which the Aussie pacers could exploit in the coming Test series. It would be interesting to see if Saim Ayub makes the cut because he has been making waves in the domestic circuit and is already coined as the "next Babar Azam" in the making.