Saim Ayub

Saim Ayub is a Pakistani left-handed opening batter and part-time off-spinner who plays all three international formats. Across his career so far he has scored 2,413 international runs in 93 matches, with 3 centuries, 12 fifties and 42 wickets as of September 2026. This page covers his full Test, ODI and T20I stats, his rise through the PSL, his records and where his game stands now.

Saim Ayub’s strongest format on paper is ODI cricket, where he averages 46.93 with 3 hundreds in just 17 matches. In T20Is he is a busy all-rounder with 1,298 runs and 29 wickets, while his Test record of 364 runs at 22.75 is still a work in progress. His part-time off-spin adds genuine value, with 42 international wickets in total.

Saim Ayub is a left-handed opening batter for Pakistan who also bowls off-break and leg-break googly, which makes him a genuine all-rounder rather than a pure top-order batter. Born in Karachi on 24 May 2002, he is known for his attacking stroke play and his ability to give Pakistan quick starts at the top of the order.

He first drew attention as an aggressive opener in Pakistan’s domestic circuit and the PSL, and was rated highly enough to be tried in the international side while still very young. Alongside his batting, his handy spin has become a real weapon in white-ball cricket, giving Pakistan a flexible option who can bat, bowl and field in the top six.

Saim Ayub’s batting and bowling numbers by format are below. His ODI average of 46.93 with three hundreds is his standout record, while in T20Is he contributes with both bat and ball, adding 29 wickets to 1,298 runs.

Saim Ayub made his PSL debut in 2021 as an 18-year-old opener for Quetta Gladiators, and at that stage there was little sign of the destructive hitter he would become. He then went more than a year without recognised T20 cricket before an explosive National T20 Cup season, where he finished as the second-highest run-scorer at a strike rate far ahead of any other batter, changed his trajectory.

That form earned him a Bangladesh Premier League stint and a second PSL chance, which he took with both hands. With Peshawar Zalmi he was among the highest run-scorers in 2023 and 2024, striking at 165.53 and 157.53, often giving the team flying starts while Babar Azam played the more sedate role alongside him.

In 2023 he impressed in T20 leagues around the world, most notably the CPL, but he struggled to carry that freedom into international cricket. Rated highly enough to break the established Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan opening pair, he did not have the desired impact and was left out ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup after a run of low scores. He was then handed a surprise Test debut in Sydney at the start of 2024, a match to forget with two failures with the bat and dropped catches at slip.

Three patterns define where Saim Ayub’s game stands, and none is obvious from a single number.

First, he is a format paradox. His ODI record is excellent, an average of 46.93 with three hundreds and a strike rate of 100 in only 17 games, yet his T20I average sits at just 21 despite being picked specifically as a T20 opener. The gap between his franchise T20 output, where he has struck at over 160 for Peshawar Zalmi, and his international T20I returns is the defining challenge of his career so far.

Second, his bowling turns him from a batter into a genuine all-rounder. His 29 T20I wickets at an average of 22 and an economy of 7.17 are not part-time filler numbers, they are front-line value, and his 42 international wickets across formats give captains a flexible extra option.

Third, he is still only 24. His ceiling remains high, and events like the Asian Games 2026 give him the platform to finally convert his heavy franchise scoring into consistent international output. If he closes that gap, he becomes one of Pakistan’s most complete white-ball cricketers.

Saim Ayub is one of Pakistan’s most exciting young all-rounders, a left-handed opener with a strong ODI record, a valuable spin option and a clear gap to close between his franchise and international T20 output. At 24, with tournaments like the Asian Games 2026 ahead of him, his best years are still to come, and this page will be updated as his career develops.

• Identity: Saim Ayub, born 24 May 2002 in Karachi, left-handed opening all-rounder for Pakistan.
• Runs: 2,413 international runs in 93 matches, with 3 hundreds and 12 fifties.
• Bowling: 42 international wickets, including 29 in T20Is at an average of 22.
• Best format: ODIs, where he averages 46.93 with 3 centuries in 17 games.
• Now: part of Pakistan’s Asian Games 2026 squad in Japan.