Saim Ayub: The No-Look Shot and Pakistan’s Next Batting Star
For Saim Ayub, his signature shot is the no-look: a stroke to the leg side played while he’s deliberately looking away from the ball. It started as an unplanned improvisation and turned into the calling card of one of Pakistan’s most exciting young batters.
Karachi, tape-ball cricket, and a cricketing family
Saim was born on 24 May 2002 in Karachi. His path moved through the age-group system with reasonable speed — Karachi Region’s Under-16 and Under-19 sides, then Pakistan’s Under-16 and Under-19 squads.
A quiet PSL debut, then more than a year in the wilderness
Saim’s first taste of the PSL came in February 2021 with Quetta Gladiators. There was nothing in that debut season to suggest the destructive power-hitter he’d eventually become — he wasn’t retained for the following season.
Peshawar Zalmi, and the shot that made him famous
Picked up by Peshawar Zalmi, Saim scored his maiden PSL half-century off just 33 deliveries in the 2023 season. The no-look shot itself first appeared in a domestic T20 match in 2022, and Saim has described it as unplanned.
2024: the year it clicked in the coloured-clothing formats
On 26 November, against Zimbabwe, he blitzed 100 off just 53 balls — the second-fastest ODI century by any Pakistani batter, behind only Shahid Afridi. He was named Player of the Series after Pakistan won a South Africa series 3-0.
Injury, and a return to form as an all-rounder
In January 2025, Saim fractured his right ankle while fielding, forcing him to miss the entire 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. Since returning, in October 2025 he was named the ICC’s new number-one-ranked T20I all-rounder.
A record-breaking PSL price tag
In February 2026, Saim was reported to have become the most expensive Pakistani player in PSL history at auction.
Where he stands now
Saim Ayub’s career arc — an underwhelming PSL debut, over a year out of contention, a dramatic reinvention as a strike-rate machine — is the story of a player who needed time to find his method, and then found it emphatically.
Quick facts
Full name: Saim Ayub | Born: 24 May 2002, Karachi | Role: Left-handed opening batter, off-break bowler | Notable: Second-fastest ODI century by a Pakistani (53 balls vs Zimbabwe), youngest player to score an ODI century against South Africa, 2023 CPL winner with Guyana Amazon Warriors, ICC’s top-ranked T20I all-rounder (2025).
Frequently asked questions
How old is Saim Ayub?
Born on 24 May 2002, Saim Ayub is in his mid-twenties as of 2026.
What is Saim Ayub’s famous “no-look shot”?
A leg-side stroke played while deliberately looking away from the ball, first improvised in 2022.
Which PSL team does Saim Ayub play for?
Peshawar Zalmi, where he became the most expensive Pakistani player in PSL history at a 2026 auction.
What is Saim Ayub’s fastest ODI century?
An unbeaten century off 53 balls against Zimbabwe in November 2024.
Has Saim Ayub had any serious injuries?
Yes — he fractured his right ankle in January 2025, ruling him out of the 2025 Champions Trophy.
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Researched and fact-checked against official league, federation and governing-body sources. Reviewed by Makhdoomzada Zaeem Muhammad, Founder & Editor, PinLivescore.