Pakistan’s emerging batter Saim Ayub has been nominated for the ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2024.
He is nominated beside three other cricketers for the award. Ayub played a key role in helping Pakistan whitewash South Africa at their home soil, creating history. England’s Gus Atkinson enjoyed a memorable start to his Test career and is joined on the shortlist by Pakistan’s multi-format run-scorer Saim Ayub, West Indies pacer Shamar Joseph, and record-breaking Sri Lankan batter Kamindu Mendis.
Playing as an opener, Saim Ayub featured in nine ODIs in 2024 and scored 515 runs at a strike rate of 64.37.
According to the ICC, in Ayub, Pakistan has found a “new flamboyant southpaw at the top of their batting order. While Ayub was a consistent feature across all three formats, many of his best performances in 2024 came in ODIs.”
In the recently concluded ODI series against South Africa, Saim Ayub scored two centuries in three matches. He also earned the Player of the Series Award in the three-match ODI series against South Africa.
Pakistan made cricket history with an 81-run victory in the second ODI against South Africa, clinching a 2-0 series win. This achievement makes Pakistan the first team in the 21st century to win three bilateral ODI series against South Africa on their home turf, following earlier successes in 2013 and 2021.
Read more: Rising star Saim Ayub shines as Pakistan sweep South Africa
The team’s resilience under challenging South African conditions stands out, a feat matched only by Australia, which required 10 series attempts to achieve the same milestone. Pakistan’s latest triumph, their third in just seven attempts, highlights their adaptability and dominance.
In the decisive match in Cape Town, Pakistan set a target of 330, bowling out South Africa for 248 in just 43.1 overs. Key contributions came from captain Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, and player of the match Kamran Ghulam, each scoring crucial half-centuries.
Saim Ayub’s magnificent knocks in the matches helped Pakistan attain a rare achievement over South Africa.