Saim Ayub Injured (Source: @cric_blog/X.com)
Pakistan's dynamic opener, Saim Ayub, has been in the news for a while after injuring his ankle during the recent hard-fought series against South Africa. This turned the heads around in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), who wasted no time in sending him across the ocean to England for the best medical healthcare and recovery.
With the marquee Champions Trophy 2025 all set to begin in about a month's time in Pakistan, his out-of-favour teammate and senior Sohaib Maqsood has voiced out his opinions on the matter and gave his insights on the nature of injury.
Sohaib Maqsood Expresses His Concerns Over Saim Ayub
The 37-year-old Maqsood spoke about the matter in length and hoped that Ayub isn't injured for a longer duration. The right-hander, remembering his personal experiences, stated that he also had a similar injury during his career, after which he required surgery and was out of cricket for 14 long months.
However, he wishes that the youngster is cleared of any surgery otherwise, he would be out of the equation for a very long time.
"We want to wish him all the best for his recovery. He is heading to England for treatment, and we pray he doesn't require surgery. I have gone through a similar injury, and recovery from such setbacks is not easy. When I had surgery, I was out of cricket for 14 months.
"There is no doubt that he has become the backbone of Pakistan's batting in ODIs. In the last six matches, he scored three centuries, including one in Zimbabwe and two back-to-back hundreds in South Africa. He also played crucial innings in Australia,"
Maqsood further described the injury as unfortunate and iterated that it would be an even bigger loss for Pakistan cricket, who would have the headache of finding his replacement promptly.
"If Saim Ayub isn't available for the Champions Trophy, it will be a major setback. Pakistan's entire ODI setup is based around his performances and his role as a batsman and part-time bowler."
Saim Ayub's South Africa Series
The stylish left-hander was having an outstanding South Africa tour, especially the ODI series, during which he amassed two centuries, helping his side clean sweep the three-match series. Unfortunately, during the final Test of the all-format series, Ayub badly injured his ankle while fielding and was withdrawn from the rest of the game, which Pakistan eventually lost.
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