Pakistan’s pace-bowling great believes that Saim Ayub, trapped in a cycle of failure, has hit rock bottom in terms of confidence.
Saim Ayub seems to have forgotten how to score runs. After repeatedly getting out for zero in the Asia Cup and setting an embarrassing record, Waqar Younis feels the top-order batter has become a liability for Pakistan. The legendary pacer has urged that he be dropped from the playing XI.
In the ongoing Asia Cup, Saim failed to open his account in all three group-stage matches, recording an unwanted hat-trick of ducks. He is now one of only six batters in international T20 history to open the innings and score zero in three consecutive innings.
After making 21 runs against India in the Super Four, he could manage only 2 against Sri Lanka. In the crucial clash against Bangladesh on Thursday, the left-hander was dismissed for yet another duck.
Across six innings in this Asia Cup, Saim has failed to score in four, setting another unwanted record. No player from an ICC full-member nation has been dismissed for zero more often in a single multi-team tournament. Previously, the record stood at three ducks, jointly held by West Indies’ Andre Fletcher, Bangladesh’s Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and Tanzid Hasan, and Zimbabwe’s Regis Chakabva.
Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by 11 runs to book their place in the Asia Cup final, where for the first time India and Pakistan will meet in the title clash.
Speaking after the Bangladesh game, Waqar recommended dropping Saim, saying the 23-year-old batter’s confidence had plummeted.
“Look, I said this after he was out for a duck the second time, this boy should be benched (dropped from the XI). It’s not that he is not talented; he is very talented. I believe he is the future of Pakistan cricket.”
“Sometimes when things don’t go right, you put yourself in a shell, your confidence hits rock bottom, and that’s what’s happened to him. Today (against Bangladesh), when he came out to bat, his body language wasn’t good at all.”
Even before the Asia Cup, Saim had been struggling for form with the bat. Across his last nine T20I innings, he has scored just 51 runs at an average of 5.66. Overall, in 45 innings for Pakistan, he has scored 839 runs with four fifties at an average of 19.51.
The Asia Cup final will take place this Sunday in Dubai.
