Pakistan’s legendary all-rounder Shahid Afridi has given a major update on Saim Ayub’s participation in the upcoming Champions Trophy. Ayub was injured during Pakistan’s series against South Africa and he has been out of action ever since.

His injury happened at the wrong time when Pakistan was preparing for the Champions Trophy. Ayoub is seen as an important player for the host country given his recent performances. In a very short period of time, the youngster has become a key player in all fixtures of the team.

Also read: Rishabh Pant named Delhi Ranji Trophy captain, Virat Kohli’s participation still uncertain

Saim Ayub to miss out on 2025 Champions Trophy – Shahid Afridi

Speaking on Samaa News’ podcast, Shahid Afridi confirmed that Saim Ayub will not recover in time to feature in the 2025 Champions Trophy. Afridi revealed a conversation he had with the youngster, who asked him to wait for another three weeks before starting his game. Rehabilitation.

“I spoke to Saim (Ayoub) last night and asked about his health, so I called him. He told me it would take three weeks and then his recovery would start. I advised him Don’t rush into anything,” Afridi said.

“If you have a minor problem, it can become bigger if you start playing at that time. So, I would advise him to rehab because he is still young and will play a lot of cricket in the future,” he added.

🚨 Shahid Afridi confirms Saim Ayub will miss out on Champions Trophy

Afridi told Samar News: “I spoke to Syed Ayub last night and he told me that he will need three weeks and after that his recovery will start. Syed’s stay in CT will be felt in Pakistan. Absences in 25 because we didn’t have backups ready”🇵🇰💔💔 pic.twitter.com/aA5Orb8JCm

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) January 16, 2025

‘Pakistan will feel Syed Ayub’s absence’ – Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi further said that Syam Ayub’s absence is a huge loss for Pakistan ahead of big events like the Champions Trophy. He feels the lack of bench strength will hurt Pakistan as they don’t have the youngster to back them up.

“With the form that Sam (Ayub) is in, Pakistan will feel his absence (from the Champions Trophy) because we are not ready for the bench. I always talk about bench strength and even if we are not ready, we should not be bothered. “There’s Shaheen (Afridi), Babar (Azam) or (Mohammed) Rizwan,” Afridi said.

“We have several winners in the team. So, every player has to play his role and work together as a team to make Pakistan win,” the all-rounder said.

Saim Ayub’s recent ODI statistics

Saim Ayub has had a brilliant start to his international career and is already seen as the future of Pakistan batting. While he has impressed in all competitions, his record in ODIs stands out the most, which is why he will miss out on the Champions Trophy.

Recently, he scored 235 runs in three ODIs against South Africa at an average of 78.33 and a strike rate of 96.31, helping Pakistan win a historic series abroad. He also became the second-highest run scorer in the series behind Heinrich Klassen.