ISLAMABAD
\nPakistan\u2019s emerging talent Saim Ayub flaunts his power-hitting ability to score 47 off 28 in first T20I against New Zealand.
\nPakistan\u2019s Saim Ayub (R) plays a shot as New Zealand\u2019s wicketkeeper captain Tom Latham (L) watches during the first T20 cricket match between Pakistan and New Zealand at the Gaddafi Cricket Stadium in Lahore on April 14, 2023.
\nLAHORE, April 15 (Online) Pakistan cricket\u2019s emerging talent Saim Ayub feels that adopting an aggressive approach in the game was crucial for relevance in modern-day international cricket.
\nThe 20-year-old left-handed batter once again flaunted his power-hitting ability but fell short to complete 50 against New Zealand on Friday, in the first T20I of the ongoing home series in Lahore. He scored 47 off 28 before being run out.
\nThe youngster came into bat when Pakistan was 30\/2 in 4.2 overs. he joined Fakhar to add 79 off 42 for the third wicket partnership.
\nTalking to Geo News after the game, Saim said that it wasn\u2019t easy to play against the new ball in the initial part of Pakistan\u2019s innings as the tourists\u2019 bowlers did pretty well during the power play.
\n\u201cMy plan was to play the shots according to their merit, stay positive and play as long as possible,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is disappointing not to be able to complete the half-century but it is okay as I intended to help my team come out of a pressure situation,\u201d he said.
\nThe young cricket sensation, who usually bats as an opener, came to bat at number four in the first T20I. But, for him, batting position isn\u2019t an issue.
\n\u201cThe only difference for me is the difference of new and old ball, that\u2019s it, and [it] can be overcome sometimes as I can come to bat even inside power play overs,\u201d he said. Saim said that he can play at any position for the team\u2019s requirement and can plan according to any number and execute it.
\nReplying to a question, he said that it is important to adopt the aggressive style of batting in modern-day cricket.
\n\u201cI think it is important for one to play aggressive cricket if he wants to stay relevant in this era. If you look at the top teams around the world, they play aggressive cricket as well,\u201d he said. Saim said that playing alongside Babar Azam in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) eighth season has helped him learn a lot about batting.
\n\u201cBatting is something which anyone can do, he [Babar] taught me how to strategise my batting,\u201d Saim said. \u201cYou know, one can still make runs despite not putting much effort or planning but what Babar taught me was how to read the game, how to understand the situation and how to plan your innings, which was very helpful,\u201d said the young batter.
\nWhen asked about his goals in the series, Saim said that he wants Pakistan to win the series 5-0 and to contribute his runs to the winning cause for the team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD Pakistan\u2019s emerging talent Saim Ayub flaunts his power-hitting ability to score 47 off 28 in first T20I against New Zealand. Pakistan\u2019s Saim Ayub (R) plays a shot as New Zealand\u2019s wicketkeeper captain Tom Latham (L) watches during the first T20 cricket match between Pakistan and New Zealand at the Gaddafi Cricket Stadium in Lahore […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":326218,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-326208","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n