![Fans rip into Saim Ayub after pair on Test return [Source: X]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1789056517820_SaimAyubDuck.jpg?type=hq)
Fans rip into Saim Ayub after pair on Test return [Source: X]
Saim Ayub’s long-awaited Test return for Pakistan ended in a dreaded fashion for the left-hand batter, as he fell for a pair in the only match he played after joining the team as a replacement for Imam-ul-Haq.
The 24-year-old, who had started his career brightly had last played a Test for the Asian giants in January 2025 against South Africa in Cape Town, when he broke his ankle and was subsequently sidelined from all formats due to his poor form.
However, a plethora of changes in Pakistan’s squad for the series meant he had a lease of life in the longest format, but things completely went south for the player.
Fans term Saim Ayub 'overhyped' after back-to-back ducks vs ENG
On Thursday, Saim Ayub walked in to bat in Pakistan’s second innings while being on a pair, and unfortunately for the batter, he fell prey to Ollie Robinson for the second time in the match and ended the series without a run scored.
He nicked a delivery way outside the off stump straight to Harry Brook in the second slip after previously being trapped LBW as Robinson’s 100th Test wicket and got out for 0(10).
Now, after England took a 320-run first-innings lead, a golden duck for Ayub means further trouble for the visitors, who are in danger of another innings defeat in the series.
Here’s how people on the internet reacted:
"Saim ayub traveled 6000 Kilometres just to score 2 ducks," said @Kanwarali
"If i would name one ganda tareeen batsmen in pakistan cricket it would always be SAIM AYUB - A FRAUD," wrote @axfaanxo.
"Remember the name Saim Duck Ayub," @asliarvind1 joked.
Saim Ayub leads unwanted record list
Despite being one of the highly touted and among the brightest Pakistani talents in recent years, Saim Ayub has been far from reaching his potential at the international level.
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Early in his career, he became an all-format batter for them, but in the last 21 months, things have drastically gone from bad to worse for him. As things stand, no other international player has scored more ducks than Ayub since January 2025. His pair in Birmingham means he has scored 10 ducks in the last 21 months.
Most international ducks since January 2025:
- Saim Ayub (Pakistan) - 10 (49 innings)
- Dharma Kesuma (Indonesia) - 9 (53 innings)
- Jayden Seales (West Indies) - 8 (33 innings)
- Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan) - 8 (35 innings)
Pakistan's opening woes worsen in England
The Asian team went to Pakistan high on confidence after levelling the Test series against West Indies away from home. However, despite getting a preparatory Tour match, the batters have specifically failed to turn up for the big series.
As a unit, ahead of the final innings of the series, they have failed to reach the 200-run mark in the series. Notably, none of the opening partnerships has reached the double figures, while three of the six innings ended without the opening pair adding any runs.
The series began with the promising star Azan Awais and Imam-ul-Haq as openers, before the latter got injured and Shan Masood opened at Lord's, and it ended with Ayub replacing Imam to bat with Awais. The following are the runs added by the openers in the series:
0 (1), 0 (11), 5 (22), 7 (27), 8 (16) and 0 (1). Across six innings, they average 3.33 runs in 13 overs.
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