Fans in shock as Saim Ayub leaves Babar Azam, Shaheen out of his dream T20I XI

Young Pakistani left-handed batter Saim Ayub of Peshawar Zalmi has named his dream T20 International XI, leaving fans shocked with the decision to leave former skipper and Pakistan Super League (PSL) teammate Babar Azam as well as Pakistan’s top pacer Shaheen Afridi out of the squad.

Speaking on the Off-Topic Zalmi Podcast, the 21-year-old rising talent was asked to choose his ideal T20I lineup from currently active players. The only rule was that no more than two players could be selected from the same country. Despite having the option to pick two Pakistanis, Saim chose only one, opener Fakhar Zaman, and paired him with Australian star batter Travis Head.

At number three, he picked England's hard-hitting wicketkeeper Jos Buttler. The middle order included West Indies' powerful Nicholas Pooran and South Africa's dangerous Heinrich Klaasen.

For the sixth spot, he selected England's Ben Stokes, praising his ability to perform under pressure.

In the all-rounder's section, Saim chose India's Hardik Pandya, Afghanistan's top spinner Rashid Khan, and New Zealand's Mitchell Santner for their balanced contributions in both batting and bowling during the middle overs.

To complete the bowling lineup, he picked India's Jasprit Bumrah and Australia's Mitchell Starc, two of the most feared fast bowlers in modern T20 cricket.

Saim recently returned to action in PSL X after recovering from an ankle injury that he suffered during the Test series against South Africa in December 2024. The injury kept him out of Pakistan's squads for the tri-nation ODI series, the white-ball series against New Zealand and later the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Now 22 years old, Saim is representing Peshawar Zalmi in the ongoing season of the PSL but is yet to hit top form. He has so far scored 119 runs in eight matches at an average of 14.87 and a strike rate of 117.82.