Legendary Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi has given a massive update on Saim Ayub's availability for the upcoming Champions Trophy. Ayub was injured during Pakistan's Test series against South Africa and has been out of action ever since.
His injury came at the wrong time when Pakistan were preparing for the Champions Trophy. Ayub was seen as a vital player for the host nation given his recent form. In a short span of time, the youngster has made a name for himself as a key player for his team across all formats.
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Saim Ayub Set To Miss Champions Trophy 2025 – Shahid Afridi
While speaking on a podcast on Samaa News, Shahid Afridi confirmed that Saim Ayub will not be able to recover in time for Champions Trophy 2025. Afridi revealed the conversation with the youngster in which the latter called three more weeks before he – and could start. rehabilitation.
“I spoke to Saim (Ayub) last night to ask about his health, so I called him. He said he needs 3 weeks and after that he will start rehab. I advised him not to do anything in hurry,” Afridi said.
“If you have even a small problem and if you start playing at that time, it can become a bigger one. So, I have advised him to recover since he is very young and he will play a lot of cricket in future,” he added he. .
🚨 SHAHID AFRIDI CONFIRM SAIM AYUB WILL MISS THE CHAMPIONS TROPHY
Afridi told Samaa News “I spoke to Saim Ayub last night, he told me he needs 3 weeks and after that he will start rehab. Pakistan will feel Saim's absence at CT 25 because we don't have bookings ready” 🇵🇰💔 💔 pic.twitter.com/aA5Orb8JCm
— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) January 16, 2025
“Pakistan will feel the absence of Saim Ayub” – Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi further termed Saim Ayub's unavailability as a huge loss for Pakistan ahead of a big tournament like the Champions Trophy. He believes the lack of strength on the bench will hurt Pakistan as they don't have the young back.
“The kind of form Saim (Ayub) is in, Pakistan will feel his absence (in the Champions Trophy) because we don't have any reserves ready. I always talk about the power of the bank that we shouldn't be bothered by even if we don't have it. they have Shaheen (Afridi), Babar (Azam) or (Mohammad) Rizwan,” Afridi said.
“We have some match winners in the team. So, every player has to do his bit and play as a team to make Pakistan win,” claimed the cop.
Saim Ayub's recent numbers in ODIs
Saim Ayub has had a fantastic start to his international career and is already seen as the future of Pakistan's batting. While he has been impressive in all formats, his record in ODIs stands out the most, which is why he will be missed in the Champions Trophy.
Recently, he scored 235 runs in three ODIs against South Africa at an average of 78.33 and a strike rate of 96.31 to help Pakistan win a historic series on foreign soil. He also became the second highest scorer of the series after Heinrich Klaasen.