Pakistan opener Saim Ayub has quickly become one of the main members of the . An average of nearly 50 in ODIs and a strike rate of 136 in T20is speaks volumes of his potential.
He hasn’t been very consistent, but he is only 23 and starting to enter the prime of his career. He hasn’t played against India yet, and will be keen to set the stage on fire when the teams clash on September 14 at the Dubai International Stadium.
India-Pakistan matches are always high-profile; however, the Men in Green have largely been outplayed in these matches, making the rivalry one-sided. But the Pakistan team under Salman Agha has shown flashes of a side that could beat any team on their day. They recently won the tri-series in the UAE and started the Asia Cup with a huge win over Oman. But playing India is a different ball game altogether, and the team will have to punch above their weight to test the Men in Blue.
‘Can Pakistan Play Fearless Cricket Against India?’
Ahead of the blockbuster clash, a Pakistan reporter stumped Ayub by asking if the Men in Green can play aggressive cricket against India, who have the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, and Varun Chakravarthy in their ranks. Ayub, who was slightly hesitant at first, came out with a thumping reply and said the team has self-belief and can play aggressive cricket against any team.
“We are just trying to play fearless cricket against every team,” Ayub said in the pre-match press conference.
Saim Ayub Plays Down Hype Around India-Pakistan Match
Ayub also played down the hype around the India vs Pakistan matches and the history of the rivalry, saying that this might be a big game for the fans, but for the team, they are only focussed on winning the Asia Cup, and not solely thinking about the India clash.
“It is a big match, if you look at the fans’ point of view. But as a team, we don’t view it like that. We take it as any other game. We as players just want to improve day by day. As a team, we believe in other players as well. It is a squad of 15, we don’t want only 1-2 players to keep performing. We want to put together a team effort,” said Ayub.
“In the last 3-4 months, the management has given a message to learn from the past and move ahead. We are focusing on not thinking about the past and looking at the future. It is not about what happened earlier. We are just focused on preparation and execution. We just want to win the tournament. We are not looking forward to just the India versus Pakistan contest,” he added.