Saim Ayub reveals his dream T20 XI

Young left-handed batter Saim Ayub has revealed his dream T20 XI — and it includes a few surprises, most notably the inclusion of only one Pakistani player.

Speaking on a podcast, the 22-year-old was asked to name his ideal T20 team made up of currently active players. He could only select a maximum of two players from any one country.

Even with the option to pick two Pakistani cricketers, Saim included only one — opener Fakhar Zaman. He paired him with Australia’s explosive left-hander Travis Head to open the innings.

At number three, he selected England’s wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler, followed by West Indies’ hard-hitting Nicholas Pooran and South Africa’s middle-order power-hitter Heinrich Klaasen.

England’s Ben Stokes, known for his match-winning ability under pressure, was chosen at number six.

Saim opted for three all-rounders to control the game in the middle overs: India’s Hardik Pandya, Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, and New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner — all of whom bring value with both bat and ball.

To complete his bowling attack, Saim went with two of the finest pacers in T20 cricket — India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Australia’s Mitchell Starc.

Saim recently returned to competitive cricket after recovering from an ankle injury he sustained during Pakistan’s Test series against South Africa in December 2024. The injury had kept him out of action for several months, including key events such as the Champions Trophy and the home ODI tri-series.

Now back in action for Peshawar Zalmi in PSL Season 10, the young batter has struggled to find form, scoring 119 runs in eight matches at an average of 14.87 and a strike rate of 117.82.

Saim Ayub’s dream T20 XI:

Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan), Travis Head (Australia), Jos Buttler (England), Nicholas Pooran (West Indies), Heinrich Klaasen (South Africa), Ben Stokes (England), Hardik Pandya (India), Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Mitchell Santner (New Zealand), Jasprit Bumrah (India), Mitchell Starc (Australia)