No Babar Azam as Saim Ayub reveals his dream T20I World XI

Saim Ayub plays shot during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) nine match between Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United at the National Bank cricket stadium in Karachi on March 16, 2024. — PSL

Peshawar Zalmi's young left-handed batter, Saim Ayub, has unveiled his dream T20I World XI — and it comes with a surprising omission.

Despite being one of Pakistan's rising stars, Saim chose to include only a single Pakistani player in his fantasy lineup, leaving out national captain Babar Azam.

Speaking on the Off Topic Zalmi podcast, the 21-year-old was asked to pick his ideal T20I XI from currently active players, with a unique rule: no more than two players from the same country.

Even with the allowance for two Pakistani selections, Saim named just one — opener Fakhar Zaman — pairing him at the top of the order with Australia’s explosive batter, Travis Head.

At number three, he picked England’s aggressive wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler. He followed that with two powerhouse middle-order hitters — West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran and South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen.

England’s Ben Stokes, renowned for delivering in high-pressure situations, slotted in at number six.

For the all-round department, Saim placed his faith in India’s Hardik Pandya, Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, and New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner — a trio capable of contributing with both bat and ball while controlling the middle overs.

To round out the bowling attack, Saim picked two pace greats of modern T20 cricket — India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Australia’s Mitchell Starc.

Regarding the young batter himself, Saim recently made his return to competitive cricket after suffering an ankle injury during the Test series against South Africa in December 2024.

He had been undergoing medical treatment and rehabilitation, which led to his exclusion from Pakistan’s squad for the home tri-nation ODI series against New Zealand and South Africa, the 2025 Champions Trophy, and the white-ball series against New Zealand.

The 22-year-old returned to action representing Peshawar Zalmi in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 10. So far, he has scored 119 runs in eight matches at an average of 14.87 and a strike rate of 117.82.

Saim Ayub’s T20I World XI:

Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan), Travis Head (Australia), Jos Buttler (England), Nicholas Pooran (West Indies), Heinrich Klaasen (South Africa), Ben Stokes (England), Hardik Pandya (India), Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Mitchell Santner (New Zealand), Jasprit Bumrah (India), Mitchell Starc (Australia).

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