Saim Ayub Reveals His Fantasy T20I World XI with Notable Exclusion

Young Peshawar Zalmi batsman Saim Ayub has announced his dream T20I World XI, which features a surprising omission.

Despite his status as a promising Pakistani talent, Saim opted to include only one Pakistani player in his fantasy team, notably excluding national captain Babar Azam.

During an appearance on the Off Topic Zalmi podcast, the 21-year-old was tasked with selecting his ideal T20I XI from current players, adhering to a specific guideline: a maximum of two players from any single nation.

Even with the possibility of two Pakistani selections, Saim chose only one – opening batsman Fakhar Zaman – pairing him with Australia’s dynamic batter, Travis Head, at the top of the order.

For the number three position, he selected England’s aggressive wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler, followed by two powerful middle-order hitters: Nicholas Pooran from the West Indies and Heinrich Klaasen from South Africa.

England’s Ben Stokes, known for his performance under pressure, was placed at number six.

In the all-rounder category, Saim expressed confidence in India’s Hardik Pandya, Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, and New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner – a trio capable of contributing with both batting and bowling while controlling the game during the middle overs.

To complete the bowling lineup, Saim selected two of modern T20 cricket’s pace legends: Jasprit Bumrah from India and Mitchell Starc from Australia.

Saim recently returned to competitive cricket after recovering from an ankle injury sustained during the Test series against South Africa in December 2024.

His medical treatment and rehabilitation resulted in his exclusion from Pakistan’s squad for the home tri-nation ODI series against New Zealand and South Africa, as well as the 2025 Champions Trophy and the white-ball series against New Zealand.

The 22-year-old has rejoined Peshawar Zalmi for the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 10. He has accumulated 119 runs in eight games thus far, maintaining an average of 14.87 and a strike rate of 117.82.

Saim Ayub’s T20I World XI:

  • Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan)
  • Travis Head (Australia)
  • Jos Buttler (England)
  • Nicholas Pooran (West Indies)
  • Heinrich Klaasen (South Africa)
  • Ben Stokes (England)
  • Hardik Pandya (India)
  • Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)
  • Mitchell Santner (New Zealand)
  • Jasprit Bumrah (India)
  • Mitchell Starc (Australia)