Saim Ayub picks only one Pakistani player in his T20I World XI

Peshawar Zalmi’s stylish left-hander Saim Ayub has revealed his dream T20I World XI, which surprisingly includes just one player from his home country, Pakistan.

Making an appearance on the Off Topic Zalmi Podcast, Saim was asked to name a T20I XI consisting of currently active players, with the restriction that no more than two players could be selected from a single country.

Even with that caveat, the 21-year-old opted for only one compatriot, opening batter Fakhar Zaman, in his fantasy XI.

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Saim paired Fakhar with Australia’s dynamic Travis Head at the top, forming an explosive opening duo.

For the No. 3 spot, Saim Ayub went with England’s hard-hitting wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler, followed by West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran and South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen, two of the most dangerous middle-order hitters in the game.

At No. 6 came England’s Ben Stokes, who is known for his presence and temperament in big moments.

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He also showed great faith in modern T20 all-rounders by picking India’s Hardik Pandya, Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, and New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner to control the middle overs.

For the pace battery, he trusted two left-arm giants in T20I cricket, India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Australia’s Mitchell Starc.

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).

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