Former captain of the Pakistan cricket team Shoaib Malik has picked his ideal opening pair for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024.
Speaking to the media in New York on Thursday, he said that Saim Ayub would be an ideal opening batter in high-scoring matches.
According to Shoaib Malik, Saim Ayub is a risk-taking batter and takes on the opposition earlier in the inning.
The chances of consistency in the performance of such players are minimal, he said, adding that the young batter has a huge potential to play winning knocks for Pakistan.
Read more: Saim Ayub defends his batting stats
Malik favoured the left-handed batter to open for the Greenshirts in case the matches were high-scoring in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
However, the former captain said that Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan should open the inning if the par total is around 160 or 170.
It is pertinent to mention that several including former chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ramiz Raja raised concerns over the poor form of Saim Ayub in the recently concluded Ireland series.
Speaking at his YouTube channel, the former cricketer questioned the effectiveness of Ayub in the opening spot for the Men in Green as he stressed consistency and reliability at the top of the order.
“I don’t think Saim Ayub gives you security, he shows flashes of brilliance. If you don’t score 50 off 30 balls then breaking Rizwan and Babar’s opening duo doesn’t make any sense,” Raja said.
Later, the batter said that he prefers winning matches rather than focusing on a 50 or 100 score.
In an interview with a private TV channel, the young star said that his aim was securing the Man of the Match rather than going for fifty or a hundred.
“I don’t think about numbers as I aim to win the match for my team. It can be any figure, 50, 70 or 100, but I don’t think about that since I’m focused on winning the match,” Saim Ayub added.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is set to begin on June 1 with the game between co-hosts the United States and West Indies.
Pakistan will play their first game on June 6 against the US while they will lock horns with archrivals India on June 9.
The Greenshirts led by Babar Azam will then take on Canada on June 12 and Ireland on June 16 in their final league match.
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