Shahid Afridi throws shade at Saim Ayub, names another potential opener

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has expressed his opinion over the team's ideal opening pair for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. 

Speaking on a local news channel, while acknowledging the talent of Saim Ayub, Afridi expressed concerns about his inconsistency.

“Saim is the issue, not Babar and Rizwan. Saim has been given many opportunities but he has failed to deliver. A lot of people are a fan of his talent but we need runs from Saim since the opening stand is a crucial part of the game. I think he has played 15 T20I innings but is yet to score a fifty,” Afridi said.

Afridi acknowledged that Saim might receive additional opportunities to prove himself. However, he hinted at an alternative plan if the youngster's inconsistency persists.

“Saim needs to show more responsibility during matches and score game-changing runs in at least two out of every five innings. We have not seen this from Saim so far but he might get more chances. If this doesn’t work out, Pakistan could give chance to Fakhar Zaman as an opener during the World Cup," he further added.

Saim's current statistics in T20Is for Pakistan paint a worrying picture. With a strike rate of 125.86, he has only managed to score 219 runs in 15 innings. His highest score stands at 49, with an underwhelming average of 14.60.