Pakistan opener Saim Ayub has been released from the national squad for the rest of the ongoing ODI tri-series, the Pakistan Cricket Board said on Monday. Saim had asked to return to domestic cricket to work on his batting form and regain confidence, and right-handed opener Sahibzada Farhan has been named as his replacement.
The PCB said the decision followed Saim's conversation with head coach Mike Hesson, after which the team management and selection committee agreed to his request. In its statement, the board said it respected Saim's decision and appreciated his honest assessment of his current form.
The series has been a difficult one for Saim. In Sunday's thrilling one-wicket win over England at the Gaddafi Stadium he made just six, part of a top-order collapse before Shadab Khan's unbeaten 113 and an unbroken last-wicket stand with Haris Rauf carried Pakistan home. Read about Shadab's century.
The board did not say how long Saim would play domestic cricket or outline any future selection plans. A day earlier, left-arm wrist spinner Sufiyan Moqim was released and 21-year-old left-handed batter Maaz Sadaqat was added as cover. Farhan, who was left out of the original squad, now joins the team for the remainder of the series.