Sahibzada Farhan replaces Saim Ayub in Pakistan’s ODI tri-series squad
New Delhi: Sahibzada Farhan has replaced Saim Ayub in Pakistan’s squad for the ongoing against England and Sri Lanka. The said in a release statement that Ayub has been dropped from the team as a result of a conversation between the player and head coach Mike Hesson. During the conversation, Ayub expressed his “desire to return to domestic cricket to work on his batting form and regain confidence, after which the team management and selection committee have mutually agreed to accept his request.
Ayub scored just 21 runs in three tri-series matches and has struggled for form this year. He played 19 matches for Pakistan across all three formats in 2026 and averages just 16.55, smashing just one fifty against Australia in February ahead of the T20 World Cup.
He was ignored for the Test and ODI series against Bangladesh as well as the ODIs against Australia that followed. He returned to the Pakistan team for the third Test against England in Birmingham in September. He was dismissed for a duck in both innings of that match.
Pakistan’s top order struggles in tri-series
PCB’s decision to replace Ayub with Farhan came after the poor run of their top-order batters in the ongoing tri-series. Ayub, Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam collectively average just 15.11. Overall, Pakistan’s top-order average of 19.81 is the lowest among all ODI teams in 2026.
The board’s media release has mentioned Ayub’s desire to return to domestic cricket, but no domestic matches are scheduled until the conclusion of the tri-series, apart from the final the President’s Trophy final. However, Ayub is not part of either team contesting the final.
Ayub’s international and franchise commitments kept him away from the President’s Trophy. He was playing for Jamaica Kingsmen in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and then joined the national team for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan and the home season. He is likely to return to domestic cricket in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, which will begin next month.
On Sunday, ahead of the match against England, Pakistan had included another top-order batter, Maaz Sadaqat, in the squad, who replaced left-arm wrist-spinner Sufyan Moqim.