Dubai (The COW News Digital) Pakistan opener Saim Ayub’s nightmare run with the bat continued in the Asia Cup as he registered yet another duck, equaling the record for the most ducks in a calendar year in T20 internationals (6).
The 22-year-old, who was moved up and down the order in search of form, was dismissed for zero against Bangladesh in the Super Four clash in Dubai — his fourth duck of the tournament. Earlier, he had bagged three consecutive ducks against Oman, India, and UAE before scoring 21 against India and 2 against Sri Lanka.
Saim’s struggles go beyond the Asia Cup, having been dismissed for zero against Bangladesh in Lahore on May 28 and again versus Afghanistan on September 2.
With this latest failure, Ayub now has nine career ducks in T20Is, second only to Umar Akmal’s 10.
Cricket experts say the left-hander remains a key talent for Pakistan but faces mounting pressure ahead of the upcoming South Africa series. Many are urging the PCB to give him a break or provide technical assistance to rebuild confidence.
