Shaheen stands by his openers
Pakistan ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi on Saturday ruled out dropping top-order batters Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman despite recent lean scores in the home ODI tri-series against Sri Lanka and England. Speaking in Lahore at Gaddafi Stadium on the eve of the fixture against bottom-placed England, he made the Shaheen Afridi captaincy stance clear: both stay in the side for now.
Calls had grown to bring T20I captain Sahibzada Farhan into the 50-over set-up after the openers’ struggles. Former captain Shahid Afridi has been among those pushing for the 30-year-old. Shaheen rejected the idea of removing Ayub or Zaman, while saying a batter could still be added if the team needs it.
Why Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman keep their places
Ayub, 24, has faced heavy scrutiny. His last ODI half-century came against South Africa last November; since then he has made 54 runs in four innings at an average of 13.5. In this tri-series he scored seven against Sri Lanka and eight against England.
Shaheen said selectors and fans often judge too quickly after one or two series. He argued Ayub sits among Pakistan’s stronger recent ODI run-makers over a longer stretch of 16–17 innings, and that lean patches happen to many players. He also stressed Ayub’s bowling and fielding: in the last match against England, Ayub bowled and helped contain the scoring when spin was needed. Without that option, Shaheen said, an extra fast bowler might have made life easier for the batting side.
He said Ayub knows runs are not coming and hoped the all-rounder would play good cricket in the matches ahead. On Zaman, Shaheen was blunt: Fakhar is the main player of Pakistan’s ODI side, and it is very important he stays in the team. Zaman had arrived at the tri-series after back-to-back half-centuries, then managed only 16 runs in the first two games, including a golden duck against England.
Farhan, the bench, and what comes next
Asked about Farhan, Shaheen noted the current bench has a wicketkeeper and mainly spinners. He said Farhan captains the T20I side and is in strong form in that format. For upcoming assignments, he said the side would give chances to a couple of players, then review how the series went and how individuals improved. If the team needs him, Farhan could be brought in.
Shaheen also addressed his own bowling pace, saying it has improved, but that Pakistan need wickets more than raw speed. He pointed to Haris Rauf and Raza Ullah for that role and argued better line and length unsettles opponents more than sheer velocity.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- November (last year): Saim Ayub’s most recent ODI half-century, against South Africa.
- Before this tri-series: Fakhar Zaman scored back-to-back ODI half-centuries in his latest appearances.
- Tri-series so far: Ayub scored 7 and 8; Zaman made 16 runs across two matches, including a golden duck versus England.
- Saturday, Lahore: At Gaddafi Stadium, Shaheen ruled out dropping either batter and kept open the option of adding a batter later.
Under this Shaheen Afridi captaincy message, the opening pair stays intact for the England game while selection for later tours remains fluid. Supporters watching the tri-series will see whether Ayub and Zaman convert that trust into runs before any batting addition is made.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Shaheen Afridi ne clear keh diya hai ke Saim Ayub aur Fakhar Zaman ko abhi ODI team se nahi nikala jayega. Dono ke runs kam aa rahe hain, lekin captain unhein mauqa dena chahta hai. Sahibzada Farhan ka zikr hua hai, magar pehle drop ki baat nahi. Fans ke liye seedha matlab yeh hai ke opening pair jaldi change nahi hogi.
