Ayub had to be run out of the field in the seventh over of the match, when Ryan Rickelton hit a delivery through the slips, sending Ayub into a chase at third alongside Aamer Jamal. Jamal brought it back as Ayub stood ready to be the relay player, but lost his balance and twisted his ankle. He immediately went down and appeared distressed holding his lower leg as the physio rushed over.
Despite prolonged treatment outside the boundary line, Ayub was unable to put any weight on his right ankle and appeared to be in tears as he was placed on a stretcher and taken away, the injury casting a pall over the procedure for Pakistan. Things only got worse a few overs later when his replacement, Abdullah Shafique, left a simple chance to Aiden Markram at cover. It wouldn’t cost Pakistan much, however, with Markram falling to Khurram Shahzad two overs later.
Ayub was sent to hospital shortly after the incident, and shortly after the match ended, the PCB confirmed that he would no longer play any role in the competition. “Saim underwent X-rays and MRI scans this afternoon,” the statement said. “The reports have been sent to specialists in London for further advice on treatment and time away from competitive cricket.”
He is one of Pakistan’s few regular players in all formats and is expected to be a key figure in the team in the upcoming Champions Trophy which Pakistan will host from February. This participation could now be seriously doubted.
“It’s a tough blow, the kind of form he’s in,” Ayub’s teammate Salman Agha said after the match. “He would have been a great asset on this wicket. I wish him well and hope he gets better soon.”
