Pakistan opener Saim Ayub suffered a painful setback less than an hour into the second and final Test against South Africa at Newlands, Cape Town. The New Year Test began with South African skipper Temba Bavuma opting to bat first against Pakistan in Cape Town.
South African openers Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton gave the hosts a steady start, reaching 27 for no loss in six overs. However, drama unfolded in the seventh over when Ryan Rickelton edged a Mohammad Abbas delivery down the ground towards the boundary.
Pakistan's Saim Ayub suffered a painful ankle injury against South Africa
As Aamer Jamal chased down and stopped the ball just short of the rope, he bowled it to Saim Ayub, who chased a ball played by Ryan Rickleton that was headed to the third man boundary. While slowing down, Ayub lost his balance and slipped awkwardly, twisting his right ankle in the ongoing New Year Test in Cape Town.
A huge blow for Pakistan as Saim Ayub walks off the field in pain after injuring his right leg in the field.#SAvPAK | #PakistanCricket pic.twitter.com/HMRF4qcVEV
— Grassroots Cricket (@grassrootscric) January 3, 2025
The left-handed batsman's right ankle was bandaged, leaving him writhing in pain on the field. Aamer Jamal and Babar Azam rushed to the aid of the 22-year-old opener as the Pakistan team's physio attended to the injured batsman on the Cape Town pitch.
Ayub was unable to continue as the young Pakistani opener needed the help of his teammates to leave the field before being carried off on a stretcher with his ankle heavily bandaged. The severity of the injury is yet to be determined, leaving questions over whether Ayub will return for the rest of the New Year Test against South Africa.
Watch Saim Ayub lying on the sidelines:
— rohitkohlirocks@123@ (@21OneTwo34) January 3, 2025
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is yet to issue an official statement regarding Saim Ayub's injury, but a quick return for him does not seem likely. The 22-year-old opener showed exceptional form during the white-ball series in South Africa, smashing 31 and an unbeaten 98 in two T20I innings.
Ayub continued with impressive performances in the ODI series, scoring 109, 25 and 101 in three matches. In the first Test, Ayub scored 14 and 27 and claimed a wicket against the Proteas. Talking about the match, South Africa started strongly after electing to bat first but Pakistan made an impressive comeback in the latter part of the session.
The New Year Test story so far in Cape Town
The new-ball bowlers didn't find much swing, but there was some movement in the off-field. Mohammad Abbas stood out with his consistent line and length, keeping the pressure on the batsmen, while Mir Hamza struggled with accuracy, delivering a couple of loose balls that allowed Ryan Rickelton (58*) to settle in with the bat in Cape Town .
Aiden Markram had an early lifeline when substitute Abdullah Shafique dropped him on 17. However, Pakistan did not have to rue it for long as Markram fell to Khurram Shahzad's next over after playing a poor shot . Wiaan Mulder came in but looked uneasy from the start.
Mohammad Abbas capitalized on this and forced a lead, resulting in Mulder's dismissal for just five runs. Just before lunch, Tristan Stubbs took one off Agha Salman, ending South Africa's session on a sour note as the hosts are currently 72/3 against Pakistan in the ongoing second Test.