LAHORE, 27th May 2024: Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja has criticized opening batter Saim Ayub for his inconsistent performances, labeling him as ‘undercooked’ following Pakistan’s loss to England in the second T20I.
Saim Ayub’s struggles continued as he managed to score only two runs while chasing England’s target of 184. In 19 T20I innings, Ayub has accumulated 286 runs at a strike rate of 127.67. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Raja questioned Ayub’s suitability as an opener and called for the reinstatement of the proven opening pair of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.
“Saim Ayub has been given too many chances and needs to perform better at the international level. He is undercooked,” said Raja. “Pakistan should revert to the opening pair of Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam, as they understand each other’s game well and provide stability. The current combination has been disrupted due to Saim.”
Raja, the former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), also advised pace bowler Shaheen Afridi to add more variations to his repertoire to maintain pressure on the batters, regardless of conditions. “Shaheen Afridi needs to develop his length ball and change of pace, especially when there isn’t much assistance from the pitch. If the ball isn’t swinging and he bowls full length, he gets punished,” Raja noted. “He didn’t bowl perfectly with the new ball today, allowing England to escape pressure.”
Additionally, Raja expressed concerns over Azam Khan’s batting against pace, warning that his weakness could be exploited by opposition teams. “Azam Khan’s batting against pace is problematic. Big teams will analyze him and use short balls to push him out of his comfort zone. His strike rate against spin is very good, but he struggles against pace,” he explained.
Reference Link: https://www.nation.com.pk/27-May-2024/ramiz-slams-saim-s-inconsistency-following-t20i-defeat-to-england
