Pakistan opener Saim Ayub says the Pakistan Super League (PSL), and Peshawar Zalmi in particular, turned him from a stylish top-order batter into the world’s leading T20 all-rounder.
Saim Ayub first came to prominence as a pure stroke-maker during PSL 2023, when he lit up the tournament for Zalmi with 341 runs in 12 innings at an average of 28.41 and a blazing strike rate of 165.53. That breakout season fast-tracked him into the Pakistan men’s side as a specialist opening batter.
But it was the following PSL campaign that quietly rewired his career. Used more as a utility option by the 2017 champions, Saim Ayub began to bowl regularly and finished the season with eight wickets in nine innings at an average of 22.37, numbers that forced selectors to look at him as more than just an attacking left-hander.
Those overs in yellow have since grown into a full-scale second skill. Now 23, Ayub has already taken 34 international wickets for Pakistan across formats, with T20Is bringing him the most joy: 21 wickets in 28 innings at an average of 24.33 and an economy rate of 6.90.
That haul helped him leapfrog India’s Hardik Pandya to become the No. 1-ranked all-rounder in T20 internationals in October last year.
Speaking from Bangladesh, where he is turning out for Sylhet Titans in the 2025–26 Bangladesh Premier League, Saim Ayub reflected on how unexpected the bowling surge has been. He revealed that while he had turned his arm over in club cricket, it was the PSL and Zalmi setup that convinced him his bowling could be a serious weapon.
“I used to bowl a bit in club cricket, but once the PSL came, Peshawar helped me a lot,” he said in an interview with an international cricket website.
When I joined the Pakistan team, they put their faith in me and did a lot of technical and tactical work on my bowling. Honestly, I didn’t think my figures would look this good, but the coaches put in a huge amount of work, and I gave it everything because if I can help the team in another way, why shouldn’t I?
Ayub also singled out Pakistan’s current bowling coach, Australian Ashley Noffke, for special praise. He described Noffke as a “really good coach” whose input has sharpened his skills and given him the confidence to operate as a genuine all-round option at the highest level.
With the bat, Ayub remains one of Pakistan’s most exciting top-order prospects; with the ball, he has quietly become a reliable left-arm option in white-ball cricket.
