Pakistan’s young opening batter Saim Ayub joined his compatriot Fakhar Zaman and Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli in an elusive list with his match-winning century in the third ODI against South Africa on Sunday.
Saim played a stellar quick 101-run knock from 94 balls, laced with 15 boundaries that included two sixes, in the third ODI and helped Pakistan white-wash South Africa in the three-match series.
Saim’s remarkable performance in the series culminated in his second century, a feat that not only highlighted his batting prowess but also earned him the coveted Player of the Series award.
Over the course of the series, he amassed an impressive total of 235 runs and contributed with the ball, claiming two wickets.
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His second century positioned him among an elite group of overseas batters who have scored multiple ODI centuries on South African soil.
This prestigious list features renowned cricketing legends such as Virat Kohli, David Warner, Joe Root, Fakhar Zaman, and Kevin Pietersen.
While batting first Saim Ayub lost his opening partner Abdullah Shafique in the first over. He then built a partnership of 114 runs from 133 balls for the second wicket with Babar Azam to set up Pakistan’s total of 308-9.
However, Kwena Maphaka broke the stand as he removed Babar, who scored 52 runs from 71 balls with the help of seven boundaries.
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Saim was joined by skipper Mohammad Rizwan (53) and they increased the scoring rate with their 93-run stand that conceded only 75 balls.
Rizwan and Saim fell in quick succession but Salman Ali Agha played a quick-fire knock of 48 runs from 33 balls and added a crucial partnership of 74 runs with Tayyab Tahir (28) to provide a finishing touch to Pakistan’s innings.
In response, South Africa, despite a spirited performance, were bundled for 271 runs in 42 overs.
It’s worth noting that Pakistan became the first-ever team to clean-sweep the Proteas in an ODI series in South Africa.
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