Saim Ayub (proper) being assisted off the sector after getting injured on January 3, 2025, whereas PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi addressing media. — AFP/APP/File
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has hinted on the omission of Saim Ayub from the upcoming Champions Trophy, saying the board is set to not rush the restoration technique of the younger batter.
Pakistan are but to disclose their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad, with the board saying on January 21 that it entered the ultimate stage of session on this regard for the marquee occasion, set to be held subsequent month.
The PCB chief confirmed to the media on Sunday that the board had adopted a cautious strategy in viewing the opener’s long-term well being and profession. “We cannot put Saim Ayub’s career at risk for the Champions Trophy.”
Quickly, Ayub, who has been sidelined as a consequence of a fractured ankle, is anticipated to get the plaster taken off of his foot.
“The plaster on Saim Ayub’s foot will be removed in a couple of days, as he is undergoing rehabilitation,” Naqvi stated, reassuring of progress on the left-handed batter’s well being situation.
The 22-year-old batter’s ongoing recuperation will stop him from taking part within the mega match, as urged by former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi as properly lately.
Throughout an interview, Afridi opened up about his dialog with the younger batsman.
“I talked to Saim Ayub last night. He told me that he needs three weeks, and only after that will his rehab begin,” he talked about.
“I advised him not to rush the process. Even the slightest injury, if not allowed to heal properly, can turn into a prolonged issue. You’re young and have a lot of cricket ahead of you, so take your time recovering.”
Lately, former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi additionally confirmed that the younger batter would miss the upcoming match as a consequence of his ongoing restoration.
Talking in an interview, Afridi revealed particulars of his dialog with the 22-year-old cricketer.
“I talked to Saim Ayub last night. He told me that he needs three weeks, and only after that will his rehab begin,” Afridi revealed.
“I advised him not to rush the process. Even the slightest injury, if not allowed to heal properly, can turn into a prolonged issue. You’re young and have a lot of cricket ahead of you, so take your time recovering,” he added.
Since his March 2023 worldwide debut in opposition to Afghanistan, Ayub has emerged as one in every of Pakistan’s most promising younger gamers.
Three tons and a half-century in simply 9 video games are a part of his super ODI report. For scoring 2 hundred within the 3-0 thumping of South Africa, Ayub was named Participant of the Sequence from Pakistan.
Regrettably, he suffered a fractured proper ankle on the primary day of the Cape City Take a look at match in opposition to the Proteas, which briefly halted his promising run.
He has been sidelined for six weeks as a result of damage, which has dominated him out of Pakistan’s present house Take a look at collection in opposition to the West Indies in addition to the forthcoming tri-nation collection in opposition to South Africa and New Zealand.
As a result of delay in his recuperation, the PCB didn’t announce a squad for the Champions Trophy whereas the remainder of the competing groups have already introduced their squads.
The board is predicted to disclose the workforce for the Tri-Nation Sequence and Champions Trophy quickly. As per media experiences, the PCB plans to announce the squads after the Take a look at collection between Pakistan and the West Indies in Multan.
Whereas the inclusion of younger expertise Ayub is deemed unlikely as a consequence of his ongoing damage, the names of Shan Masood and Imam-ul-Haq are being thought-about for the ultimate choice for the opening slot alongside Fakhar Zaman.
The unversed Ayub’s spectacular type within the 50-over format earned him a spot within the ICC ODI Crew of the Yr 2024, the place he was named a gap batter alongside Rahmanullah Gurbaz, with Sri Lanka’s Charith Asalanka because the workforce captain.
Moreover, he has additionally been nominated for the ICC Rising Males’s Cricketer of the Yr award, alongside Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis, West Indies’ Shamar Joseph and England’s Gus Atkinson.
The winner of the distinguished award is scheduled to be unveiled later at this time.
