Saim Ayub and Shan Masood’s splendid batting vaulted Karachi Whites to 398 for the loss of just two wickets on the opening day of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2023-24 final against Faisalabad at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
Saim remained unbeaten on 200 at stumps with Omair Bin Yousuf the other batter not out at two. Shan contributed with a remarkable 180 before getting out while opening batter Khurram Manzoor made three runs.
In the five-day final of the country’s premier first-class tournament, Faisalabad captain Faheem Ashraf won the toss and decided to field first. Khurram Manzoor’s dismissal off the bowling of Khurram Shahzad in the fifth over of the day seemed to lift Faisalabad but Shan and Saim soon conjured a riveting counterattack.
Young Pakistani left-handed batter Saim Ayub stroked his way to his second first-class hundred in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore today, October 22.
Saim also scored his runs briskly, belting 22 fours and two maximums in his 244-ball 200 not out. This was Saim’s second first-class century, having scored his maiden ton earlier in the tournament against Multan at Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi.
Ayub has been in scintillating form across formats in the last few months. Having shone in the PSL earlier this year, he was handed an international debut in the T20I series against Afghanistan just after the PSL.
Since then, he has made his mark in the Caribbean Premier League, where he ended up as the second-highest run-scorer with 478 runs from 13 innings at an average of 43.45 and a strike rate of 143. And now, he is lighting up the first-class circuit in Pakistan with his run-scoring.
All of 21 years of age, Ayub has a long and bright future ahead of him.
Watch Saim Ayub stroke his way to a second first-class ton in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final in Lahore:
.@SaimAyub7 fluently marches his way to a second first-class ton 🙌#QeAT | #FSDvKHIW pic.twitter.com/Lctm7s9fQ4
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) October 22, 2023