The opening day of international cricket for Pakistan during the second of the two-match Tests series against South Africa at the Newlands in Cape Town could prove to be a huge curse for the touring side, as their inform opening batter, Saim Ayub, faced a major injury scare during the red-ball contest.
Pakistan came into the second encounter of the series after their two-wicket defeat in the series opener at the SuperSport Park in Centurion, which helped the Proteas to qualify for the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25. The green brigade decided to drop their young pacer, Naseem Shah, for the contest and was put into bowl first.
The touring captain surely read the surface wrong as on a belter of a Newlands track, Shan Masood wanted to bowl first as they ended the opening day with 316/4 in 80 overs, despite having the home side at 72/3 in the 23 overs. The biggest news for them will come for the rest of the encounter.
Saim Ayub is ruled out of Pakistan’s Newlands Test after suffering an ankle injury
Pakistan will be without the services of their opening batter of the side, Saim Ayub, who has now been ruled out of the remainder of the game after suffering a right ankle injury. The left-handed opener was stretched off the pitch in just the seventh over of the game.
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The new opener of South Africa, Ryan Rickelton, edged a delivery through the slips, sending Ayub off on a chase to the deep third-man region alongside the fast bowler Aamer Jamal, who stopped the ball just before the cushion. As Jamal pulled it back, Ayub stood poised to be the relay fielder but lost the balance and twisted his ankle.
The Pakistan batter went down immediately and appeared to be in extreme pain, holding his lower part of the leg as the physio rushed on. That was enough to get a view of how dangerous the injury could have been for the youngster.
The physio ran in, and despite the prolonged treatment outside the boundary line, Ayub couldn’t find his feet steady on the ground. At the close of play, their cricket board confirmed that the Karachi-born would be taking no further part in the contest.
“Saim underwent X-rays and MRI tests this afternoon. The reports have been sent to specialists in London for further advice on the treatment and time away from competitive cricket.” The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) published a statement.
Saim Ayub was one of the star batters to make a breakthrough across the formats in the last few months. He was the player of the series for their maiden whitewash in the Rainbow Nation last month by a 0-3 margin last month, with two centuries as he finished as the leading run-getter with 264 runs in three innings at an average of 88 and a strike rate of over 123.
It could be a huge blow for the defending champions as they look to start their campaign in the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 at home, which is scheduled to begin on February 19. Ayub is expected to be the key batter of the side, but his participation is now in serious doubt.
“It’s a big blow, the kind of form he’s in. He would have been a great asset on this wicket. I wish him well, and hopefully, he’ll be better soon.“ Salman Ali Agha, the vice-captain of the Pakistan side, expressed at the press conference. It will be interesting to see whom they now open within the first innings of the Cape Town Test.