![Hyderabad Kingsmen to send Ayub to the USA [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1778338682543_SaimAyubPakistan.jpg?type=hq)
Hyderabad Kingsmen to send Ayub to the USA [Source: AFP]
Saim Ayub emerged as one of the most promising young talents in Pakistan when he broke into the national team in 2023. During their tours of Australia and South Africa in 2024, he was Pakistan’s best batter, top-scoring in both series.
However, since his ankle injury in January 2025, which ruled him out of the home ICC event of the Champions Trophy, Saim Ayub’s numbers have been underwhelming. This was evident in Hyderabad Kingsmen’s maiden PSL campaign as well, where he got 258 runs at a strike rate of just 119.44.
Looking for solutions to these persistent problems with the bat, Hyderabad Kingsmen owner, Fawad Sarwar, has come up with a special training program designed for the batter.
Saim Ayub to hone baseball skills
Saim Ayub’s poor strike rate can be attributed to the constant rut that the player finds himself in, doing the same things on a loop over and over again. In the recent T20 World Cup, he only scored 70 runs in 5 innings, which raised doubts over his place in the team. Additionally, the rise of Maaz Sadaqat and Sameer Minhas is concerning for Ayub.
Currently, he is contributing to his team more with his off-spin than bowling, despite Hyderabad Kingsmen’s run to the final. To address the issue, the Kingsmen’s owner is set to send Ayub and Irfan Khan Niazi to the USA to train with the baseball teams, working on their bat swing in the process.
Sarwar has promised all the support from his end to help Ayub get out of this form, but has also demanded a similar intent from the players with their training.
“We will take Saim Ayub and Irfan Khan Niazi to the USA during the off-season. They’ll work with baseball teams and also focus on improving their golf swings. We will fully support them, but they must work hard as well,” he told Relukattay YT.
Saim Ayub faces stiff competition in Pakistan
In the latest Pakistan squad, which is currently travelling to Bangladesh for a two-match Test series, the PCB has shown great intent to look for options beyond the 23-year-old southpaw, who has evidently regressed across formats.
Saim Ayub last played a Test in Cape Town during their 2025 tour of South Africa, where he injured his ankle. Since then, the drop in form meant he was dropped from the team when the Proteas visited Pakistan late in 2025. Subsequently, they have introduced another exciting prospect, Azan Awais, into the mix, who has already scored 85*(133) in his first Test innings.
Beyond Azan Awais, there are players like Abdullah Fazal and Maaz Sadaqat ahead of him right now, considering the recent squads. Sameer Minhas is also making a name for himself in white-ball cricket to add to Ayub's worries.
Crunch time for Saim Ayub
The USA tour, organised by the Hyderabad Kingsmen owner, weeks after finishing PSL 2026 as the runner-ups, is a great opportunity for the young Saim Ayub to keep himself around the Pakistan team.
He has gone unsold in The Hundred 2026 auction but could get a gig in the CPL 2026, having previously played for the Guyana Amazon Warriors. Considering the opening options, it will be important for him to regain his confidence and score big to not find himself out of the Pakistan set-up.
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