Pakistani rising star Saim Ayub scored a double century during the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2023-24 final between Karachi Whites and Faisalabad at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on Sunday.
Opener Khurram Manzoor departed in the fifth over for just three runs after playing a cheap shot but the second-wicket's 367-run partnership between Ayub and Shan Masood took Karachi to a formidable total at the end of day one.
Saim scored his maiden double century of domestic cricket, scoring 200 off 244 balls with the help of 22 fours and two sixes.
All the Faisalabadi bowlers looked clueless in front of the 21-year-old as he hit them all over the ground with perfection.
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On the other hand, Shan Masood, too, was on his way to complete his 200 but he lost his wicket to Arshad Iqbal for 180 runs as the ball hit the wicket after getting an inside edge.
Shan scored 180 runs with a total of 20 boundaries, 13 fours and seven sixes.
Saim Ayub has been in scintillating form across formats for the last few months. After a spectacular Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight where he introduced himself to the cricket world, the left-handed youngster went to the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and helped his side win the title while being the the second-top-scorer, scoring 478 runs from 13 innings at an average of 43.45 and a strike rate of 143.
It must be noted that both Karachi Whites and Faisalabad would be doing their best to win the first-class title as since the restoration of the 2014 Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) constitution, it is the first premier tournament completed.
Former captain of the Pakistan cricket team who led them to the 2017 Champions Trophy triumph in England, Sarfaraz Ahmed, is leading Whites while Faisalabad is led by all-rounder Faheem Ashraf.
- Saim Ayub
