Saim Ayub Opens Up on PSL’s Role in His All-Round Evolution

Pakistan cricket has a habit of revealing talent in flashes, and Saim Ayub appears determined to do both. Once viewed as a clean-hitting opener, the 23-year-old now commands attention as a genuine all-round option, sitting atop the ICC Men’s T20I all-rounder rankings.

His transformation did not arrive overnight, but unfolded across seasons, overs, and quiet sessions far from the spotlight.

PSL: Where the Shift Took Shape

Ayub’s first big break came with Pakistan Super League, when Peshawar Zalmi handed him freedom at the top. In the 2023 edition, he piled up 341 runs at a decent strike rate.

The next season told a different tale, and Zalmi began trusting his part-time bowling. Ayub responded with control and calm, collecting eight wickets across nine outings. 

"I used to do a little bit of bowling in club cricket as well, but since the PSL happened, Peshawar helped me a lot," Saim Ayub said. 

Selectors noticed his all-round talent, and that utility role opened doors at the international level, where Ayub embraced added responsibility rather than resisting it.

From Option to Reliance

International cricket strips comfort quickly, and Ayub learned that early. With Pakistan, he sharpened his bowling through drills, video breakdowns, and relentless repetition. The belief from management stayed firm, even when returns dipped.

In T20Is alone, Ayub has captured 21 wickets in 28 innings while keeping runs tight. An economy under seven in modern T20 cricket speaks volumes. Those figures helped him edge past Hardik Pandya in the rankings, a marker few predicted a year earlier.

Ayub admits he never expected such numbers, and what mattered more was feeling useful in every phase of a match.

Coaches, Clarity, and Craft

Ayub reserves special praise for Pakistan’s current bowling coach, Ashley Noffke. Sessions focused on alignment, release points, and match awareness rather than raw pace. 

Those lessons now travel with him to the Sylhet Titans, where he features in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League season. 

Ayub still values his batting first, and yet the added bowling threat reshapes how captains use him and how opponents plan.

Ayub’s journey shows how exposure, patience, and honest effort can redraw a player’s identity. And judging by his trajectory, this version of Saim Ayub is only getting started.