ISLAMABAD: Saim Ayub has opened up about the on-field heated exchange with pacer Mohammad Amir during the second match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 10, which saw Quetta Gladiators take on Peshawar Zalmi in Rawalpindi.
Mohammad Amir and Saim Ayub were involved in a tense on-field exchange during the PSL 10 match.
The incident took place shortly after Amir removed Peshawar Zalmi’s captain Babar Azam for a duck in just two deliveries.
As Peshawar Zalmi began their daunting chase, Amir directed some words towards Ayub—who was at the non-striker’s end—after a quick single.
Though the stump microphones did not capture the exact words exchanged, both players were clearly animated in their body language.
Ayub, returning to competitive cricket following an ankle injury that had sidelined him since January, maintained his composure and chose not to retaliate.
When asked about the altercation during a post-match interview, Ayub light-heartedly responded, “Yeh agar main na bataaun toh?” (“What if I don’t tell you?”).
He later clarified that the exchange was nothing more than friendly banter and dismissed any notion of bad blood between the two.
One-sided contest
It is also worth noting that Quetta Gladiators cruised to a dominant 80-run victory over Peshawar Zalmi in what turned out to be a one-sided contest at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Chasing a steep target of 217, Peshawar Zalmi were bowled out for just 136 runs, falling well short by 80 runs.
The innings got off to a dreadful start as skipper Babar Azam was dismissed for nought in the very first over by Mohammad Amir, with only three runs on the board.
Despite the early blow, Saim Ayub showed resilience on his return, compiling a determined half-century off 37 deliveries.
His knock included four sixes and three boundaries. Hussain Talat also contributed with a brisk 35 from 19 balls, striking three sixes.
Earlier, Quetta Gladiators set the tone for the match with a commanding total of 216 for 3 in their allotted 20 overs, setting Zalmi a challenging target of 217 runs.
