Young Pakistani opener Saim Ayub has joined the elite group of batsmen after scoring a match-winning century against South Africa in the recently concluded ODI series. Saim, who is Pakistan's top scorer, helped the Mohammad Rizwan-led side register a historic win over South Africa.
Ayub scored 101 runs off 94 balls as Pakistan posted 308/9 at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday, December 22. In response, Pakistan defended the target by bowling South Africa for 271 from 42 overs during a rain-affected match. Ayub was named the best player of the series for two centuries.
Saim Ayub formed crucial partnerships with Babar Azam and Mohamed Rizwan
Pakistan were asked to bat first but lost the wicket of Abdullah Shafiq in the first over. Syme played a crucial role in bringing stability to the innings. He added partnerships of 114 runs for the second wicket with Babar Azam (52 off 71 balls) and 93 runs for the third wicket with captain Mohammad Rizwan (53 off 52).
Ayoub was arrested behind newcomer Corbin Bush. Middle-order batsman Salman Agha added 48 runs off 33 balls. In response, South Africa's Heinrich Klaassen top-scored with 81 off 43 balls. Sufyan Muqim (4/52) was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan as they beat South Africa for 271.
Saim Ayoub joins an elite list of offshore speculators with several hundred in South Africa
Saim Ayyub joined the elite group of foreign batsmen with several hundreds in the bilateral ODI series in South Africa after the third ODI. The left-handed batsman is now alongside Pakistan's Fakhar Zaman and Joe Root, who each got two hundreds in South Africa.
Australian cricketer David Warner, former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen and Virat Kohli scored triple hundreds in South Africa. Other notable Asian batsmen with ODI centuries in Johannesburg include Shikhar Dhawan, Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, and Kumar Sangakkara.
Biggest Hundreds by Visiting South African Speculators in the Binary Series:
| player | Matches | Runs | middle | 100 seconds | 1950s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 17 | 898 | 74.83 | 3 | 5 |
| Kevin Petersen | 10 | 506 | 84.33 | 3 | 1 |
| David Warner | 17 | 808 | 47.52 | 3 | 3 |
| Jos Butler | 8 | 415 | 69.16 | 2 | 1 |
| Pottery of the past | 8 | 469 | 58.62 | 2 | 1 |
| Marnus Labuschagne | 8 | 432 | 61.71 | 2 | 1 |
| Ricky Ponting | 18 | 758 | 44.58 | 2 | 4 |
| Joe Root | 8 | 417 | 59.57 | 2 | 1 |
| Saim Ayoub | 3 | 235 | 78.33 | 2 | 0 |
Very special because we won – Saim Ayoub
Speaking after the match, Saim Ayoub expressed his happiness with the victory, noting that the awards for best player in the match and best player in the series came as a result of the team’s collective effort. He stressed the importance of learning from every match and mistake under the guidance of senior players.
Ayoub said: “It is very special because we won. This award is for the team. The whole team participated. As a young player, I look forward to learning from every match. I look forward to learning from every mistake. The adults help me learn.” .
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