Pak openers Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman set for comeback from injuries

Karachi: Pakistan openers Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman are set to return to action in the Pakistan Super League after recovering from injuries, which forced them to miss the Champions Trophy and the white-ball series against New Zealand recently.

A PCB source confirmed that both the left-handed batters had been cleared by the Pakistan Cricket Board's medical panel to return to competitive cricket in the PSL, which begins on April 11.

Saim has been out of action since early January when he fractured his ankle while fielding on the first day of the second Test against South Africa in Cape town.

The more seasoned Fakhar, after returning to action in the tri-nation tournament, injured himself in the opening match of the Champions Trophy.

Fakhar has been grappling with a knee problem in the last two years and had returned to the national side in February after being out of the ODI squad since the 2023 World Cup.

The source said that Saim had joined the Peshawar Zalmi training camp in Islamabad while Fakhar was also with the Lahore Qalandars side.

Saim's absence was felt in the Champions Trophy, hosted by Pakistan, as he had scored two hundreds in the ODI series in South Africa, which Pakistan won 3-0.

Pakistan struggled badly on the recent tour of New Zealand, losing the T20 series 1-4 to a depleted home side and getting whitewashed 0-3 in the ODI series. PTI Cor AM ZCZC PRI CRI ESPL SPO .KARACHI SPF15 SPO-CRI-PAK-SAIM Pakistan opener Saim Ayub completes rehabilitation for ankle injury Karachi, Mar 26 (PT) Pakistan's young opener Saim Ayub has completed his rehabilitation for an ankle injury and will undergo a fitness test before he is cleared to play in the Pakistan Super League beginning April 11.

According to a source in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Saim has returned to Lahore after completing his rehab in London under the supervision of sports injuries specialists in the UK.

"He has to now undergo some fitness tests in Lahore before he is cleared to take part in the PSL," the source said.

He added if the PCB medical panel felt it would be better to give Saim more rest before he returns to cricket, then that will be done regardless of the PSL.

Saim, who made a big impact on the tours of Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa by scoring two hundreds in the ODI series in South Africa, fractured his ankle while fielding on the boundary on day one of the second Test in January.

The PCB then sent him to London for consultations with experts who decided he should undergo rehab there.

The source said seasoned opener Fakhar Zaman has also shown good progress after his injury, which he sustained at the start of the Champions Trophy, and is preparing to play in the PSL. PTI Cor AH AH 2603 1808 NNNN ZCZC PRI CRI ESPL GEN INT SPO .LAHORE SPF16 SPO-CRI-PAK-SQUAD (CORRECTED) Babar, Rizwan dropped from Pakistan's T20 squad (Eds: Correcting typo in second last para) Lahore, Mar 4 (PTI) Captain Muhammad Rizwan and Babar Azam were on Tuesday dropped from the Pakistan squad for the five-match T20 series in New Zealand.

Salman Ali Agha replaced Rizwan as captain of the T20 outfit with all-rounder Shadab Khan being recalled and named his vice-captain.

Rizwan has been retained as captain of the ODI squad after the team's disappointing show in the Champions Trophy. The selectors have avoided an overhaul in the one-day squad and retained majority of the players who flopped in the ongoing ICC event.

Babar is also retained in the ODI squad but batters Saud Shakil and Kamran Ghulam have been axed.

The selectors have also sidelined fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf from the one-day squad.

Pakistan play five T20s and three ODIs in New Zealand starting March 16.

Pakistan will still be without dashing opener Saim Ayub, who is yet to recover from an ankle injury while opener, Fakhar Zaman has also been ruled out of the tour with an injury he sustained in the first match of the CT.

His injury came after making a comeback to the Pakistan squad last month in the three-nation event while Saim got injured while fielding during the Test series in South Africa earlier this year.

Pakistan squads: ODI: Muhammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (VC), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Akif Javed, Babar Azam Faheem Ashraf, Imam ul Haq, Khushdil Shah, Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Wasim junior, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah Sufyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir.

T20: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan (VC), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Jahandad Khan, Khushdil Shah, Muhammad Abbas Afridi, Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Haris, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Muqeem, Usman Khan.