# Saim Ayub

Saim Ayub (Urdu: صائم ایوب; born 24 May 2002) is a Pakistani cricketer who plays for the Pakistan national cricket team and for Karachi Whites in domestic cricket. He made his international debut in T20 against Afghanistan in March 2023 and made his test debut against Australia in the third test in January 2024. Later, he made his ODI debut against Australia in November 2024.

## Early life

His father Ayub Ahmed and his uncle Mohammad Javed both played cricket at the club level, Saim was initiated into the game at a young age with tape ball cricket from Gulistan-e-Johar, helped by his father as well by two elder brothers.

## Domestic and franchise career

In February 2021, Saim made his Twenty20 debut for Quetta Gladiators in the 2021 Pakistan Super League.
In March 2022, he made his List A debut for Sindh in the 2021–22 Pakistan Cup.
In September 2022, he made his first-class debut for Sindh in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2022/23.

### Pakistan Super League

In 2021, he played for Quetta Gladiators but didn't perform well hence he couldn't become a regular member of the playing XI and was dropped from the squad for the next season. In February 2023, while playing for Peshawar Zalmi during the 2023 PSL, he hit his maiden PSL half-century off 33 deliveries, observers comparing him to Saeed Anwar. Saim Ayub continues to make his mark in the PSL 2023 season with consistent run scoring for Peshawar Zalmi along with Babar Azam. In match 25 between Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators in the PSL 2023 season, Saim scored 74 off 34 and helped Peshawar Zalmi post 240/2 in 20 overs. In match 27 of PSL 2023, he played a blistering knock of 58 off 33 balls. He finished the season with 341 runs with an average of 28.41 and strike rate of 165.53 across 12 matches. He has also been the part of CPL 2023 season. He performed well in the league and helped his team Amazon Warriors to get the title with his outstanding performance in the final.

## International career

In December 2022, alongside fast bowler Ihsanullah and batsman Haseebullah Khan, Saim Ayub was one of the three youngsters selected to be included in the national squad for the second Test match of the New Zealand series in Karachi, so they could get some international exposure and see the dynamics of the dressing room.
In March 2023, he was named in Pakistan's Twenty20 International (T20I) squad for the series against Afghanistan. He made his T20I debut in the first T20I of the series, on 24 March 2023. On 20th November 2023, he was selected in Pakistan's Test squad for the series in Australia. He made his debut on 3 January 2024 in the third test match of the series. He got out for a duck in his first innings.
In May 2024, he was named in Pakistan’s squad for the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup tournament. In August 2024, he was selected in Pakistan's squad for the test series against Bangladesh. In September-October 2024, he was named in Pakistan’s 17 man squad against England for a 3 test game series. In the Multan Cricket Stadium on 15 October 2024, he made his best test score scoring 77 (160) against England.
On October 27, 2024, Saim was named for the Pakistani Tour of Zimbabwe, as well as the Pakistani tour of Australia.
He made his ODI debut in the first match of the series against Australia, scoring 1 run, before being bowled out by Mitchell Starc Australia would go on to win the match with 99 balls remaining. In the second match of the series, he bowled in an international ODI for the first time, taking 0 wickets, but bowling 3 overs at the economy of 4.66. His batting would go much better, making 82 runs off 71 balls, making an impressive 5 fours and 6 sixers. He spearheaded the attack, with Pakistan winning the match with 141 balls remaining, evening the scores. In the third and final ODI, he once more top-score, making 42 off 52, leading Pakistan to win the series. He was not named for the T20Is.
He played the first ODI match against Zimbabwe, where he bowled 2 overs at an economy of 6, taking no wickets. In Pakistan's innings, he would make 11 off 17, making 2 boundaries, but would eventually be caught behind off of Blessing Muzarabani. Pakistan would go on to lose the match after heavy rain using the DLS method, a surprising loss. On November 26, 2024, during the second ODI match against Zimbabwe, Saim Ayub achieved a remarkable milestone by scoring a blistering century off just 53 balls. This feat marked the second-fastest ODI hundred by a Pakistani cricketer, surpassed only by Shahid Afridi. Saim's innings powered Pakistan to a dominant 10-wicket victory as they chased down the target of 146 with ease, finishing the match with 32 overs to spare. On November 28, 2024, in the final ODI, Saim made 31 off 37, making 4 boundaries, before being caught at deep square leg. Saim also took two beautiful wickets in just the third over, quickly reducing Zimbabwe to 10/2. He was named player of the series, having made 155 runs and taken 3 wickets. In the first T20I, he made 24 runs off 18 balls, making 3 boundaries. In the second T20I, he made an unbeaten 36 runs off 18 balls, making 7 boundaries, and leading Pakistan to a blistering chase in just 5.3 overs. Since Pakistan had already clinched the series, he would be rested alongside teammate Haris Rauf, and Pakistan would go on to win the series 2-1, after a surprise loss in the last match.
On December 4, 2024, he was named for the Pakistani side in all three formats in the Pakistani tour of South Africa.
In the first T20I, he made a quick 31 runs off 15 balls, with 7 boundaries, before being caught out. On December 13, 2024, in the second T20I, Saim Ayub scored his maiden T20I half-century against South Africa, carrying his bat with an unbeaten 98 off 57 balls. The third T20I was abandoned.
On 17 December 2024, he scored his second ODI century against South Africa during the 1st match of the series. The 22-year-old Pakistan batter became the youngest player to score a century against South Africa in ODIs while chasing as he broke legendary West Indian batter Brian Lara’s 31-year-old record. On 22 December 2024, in the third ODI match of the series against South Africa, he made his career's third century by scoring 101 runs off 94 balls.
On the same tour of South Africa, he twisted his right ankle during the second test match, in Cape Town, which sidelined him from taking any further part in the match and subsequently ending his tour to South Africa.