Saim Ayub: School prodigy from Pakistan, trolled by former cricketers, inspired by Pant and now dominates Australia’s Starc, Cummins, and Zampa

Troubled by the harsh criticism, Saim turned to his puerility manager Mohammad Masroor, who is present Pakistan’s fielding coach. Masroor encouraged him by pointing to the illustration of Rishabh Pant, a chap left-hander from crossed the borderline who had besides faced aggravated disapproval from cricket experts aft getting retired during the 2019 World Cup semi-final.

8️⃣2️⃣ runs
7️⃣1️⃣ balls
5️⃣ fours
6️⃣ sixes

BLAZING sound by @SaimAyub7 🔥
End of a 137-run basal – Pakistan’s second-highest opening concern against Australia successful ODIs 💫#AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/uQZJtVtog3

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 8, 2024

“The illustration of Rishabh Pant was determination for him to see. He kept getting retired playing those shots, and the pundits successful India wrote him off, calling him reckless and questioning his temperament. But they forgot that assertive cricket is Rishabh’s strength,” Masroor told The Indian Express earlier the bid began.

Saim Ayub with manager Masroor up of his first-class debut for Karachi

Saim, who had played 23 T20Is and six Tests, had yet to marque a important impact. However, helium was fortunate to person the enactment of the Pakistan squad management, and connected Friday, helium showed his potential. Playing successful lone his 2nd ODI, against the World Champions and possibly the champion bowling onslaught successful the world, the left-hander scored 82 disconnected 71 balls, which included 5 boundaries and six sixes. His sixes—whether the propulsion changeable against Cummins, the pick-up changeable against Mitchell Starc, oregon his almighty changeable against leg-spinner Adam Zampa—showed that the 22-year-old has what it takes to thrive connected the planetary signifier and could go a formidable subordinate crossed each formats.

“Michael Vaughan and Adam Gilchrist privation him to succeed. The lad is special. We conscionable request to person religion and springiness him clip to mature,” Masroor said.

This is Saim’s 3rd travel to Australia. He made his Test debut earlier this twelvemonth successful Sydney. But his archetypal sojourn to these shores was successful 2018 arsenic the skipper of Pakistan U-16. “In Melbourne, we were chasing 260-odd runs, and I retrieve Saim scored 150. That was immoderate knock,” Masroor recalled.

Masroor spotted Saim successful a schoolhouse tourney successful Karachi, wherever helium was invited arsenic a main guest. He got him enrolled successful the Rashid Latif Cricket Academy, contempt absorption from Saim’s father, who worked for a multinational institution successful Karachi. “He comes from a household of professionals, wherever the absorption was much connected studies and his begetter wanted him to win academically. I had to enactment successful immoderate effort to person his begetter to fto him play,” helium said.

What fascinated Masroor astir Saim from an aboriginal property was his quality to grip gait and bounce.

A young Saim Ayub with his manager Mohammad Masroor

“He cuts and pulls truly well. He has each those modern strokes successful his repertoire. Once helium settles, helium ever scores big. Under his captaincy, Karachi won the U-16 rubric doubly successful a row, with him scoring 4 centuries successful some seasons,” Masroor remembered.

Like galore young Pakistani cricketers, Saim initially wanted to beryllium a pacer. In fact, until his U-19 days, helium utilized to unfastened the innings with some bat and shot for his teams.

“He was a plaything bowler, and I indispensable say, a decent one,” Masroor reminisced. “He utilized to vessel 5 overs of mean gait with the caller shot and past off-spin.”

On Friday, erstwhile Saim was introduced into the attack, helium instantly troubled Aaron Hardie with his carrom ball. Adam Gilchrist, connected commentary, compared him to the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.

“He’s idiosyncratic who tin vessel leg-spin to right-handers and off-spin to left-handers. The past clip I saw idiosyncratic bash that was Sachin Tendulkar,” Gilchrist said.

Saim precocious added the carrom shot to his skills portion playing successful franchise leagues worldwide.

“Now you request to adhd much skills. He has worked connected his carrom shot and developed different variations. He’s effectual with the shot but inactive has country for improvement,” Masroor said.

With the three-match bid tied 1-1, the decider volition beryllium played successful Perth connected Sunday.