ISLAMABAD: Pakistan all-format opening batter Saim Ayub has been ruled out of cricket for at least six weeks after he fractured his right ankle on the opening day of the second and final Test against South Africa, putting his participation in serious doubt for next month’s Champions Trophy.
Ayub fell awkwardly in the outfield and was visibly in lot of pain as he received brief treatment on the ground before he was rushed to a hospital for precautionary scans.
“An MRI conducted Friday afternoon confirmed the fracture, which has been immobilized in an Ankle Medical Moon Boot,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Saturday.
“Although Saim will not participate further in the Test, he will remain with the team and travel back to Pakistan with the squad after the match concludes.”
Ayub’s injury comes as a major blow to Pakistan. The left-handed opener had been in prolific form, especially in white-ball cricket, and scored two centuries as Pakistan swept South Africa 3-0 in the one-day series last month.
The ankle injury has put his participation in doubt for next month’s Champions Trophy which begins on Feb. 19 in Karachi, when Pakistan will take on New Zealand in the opening match.
South Africa dominated the day 1 of the second Test at Newlands and piled up 316 for four, with Ryan Rickelton hitting 176 not out. He shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 235 with his captain, Temba Bavuma, who made 106.
South Africa have already sealed a place in June’s World Test Championship final with a dramatic two-wicket win in the first test at Centurion.
Fractured ankle rules out Pakistan opener Saim Ayub for at least six weeks
https://arab.news/9cnjv
Fractured ankle rules out Pakistan opener Saim Ayub for at least six weeks
- Ayub fell awkwardly in the outfield and was visibly in lot of pain as he received brief treatment on the ground
- South Africa dominated the day 1 of second Test and piled up 316 for four, with Ryan Rickelton hitting 176 not out
At least one killed, nine injured in IED blast in northwestern Pakistan
- Blast takes place near vehicle carrying employees of Lucky Cement factory in Lakki Marwat district, say police
- No group has claimed responsibility for IED blast as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police launch probe into the incident
PESHAWAR: At least one person was killed and nine others were injured in Pakistan’s northwestern Lakki Marwat district on Monday after an improvised explosive device (IED) blast occurred near a vehicle transporting employees of a cement factory, a police official said.
Lakki Marwat police official Shahid Marwat told Arab News the blast took place on the district’s Begu Khel Road at around 6:30 a.m. The explosion occurred near a vehicle carrying employees of the Lucky Cement factory located in the district, he said.
“Initial investigations suggest the device had been planted by militants,” Marwat said. “A rapid police response force was immediately deployed to the scene to evacuate the dead and wounded, secure the area and collect evidence.”
The police officer said several victims were in critical condition and were referred for treatment to the nearby Bannu district, adding that all those affected by the blast were residents of Begu Khel village.
He said police had launched an investigation into the incident.
No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the Pakistani Taliban, or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have claimed responsibility for similar attacks in the past against Pakistani law enforcers and civilians in the province.
The TTP has carried out some of the deadliest attacks against Pakistani law enforcers since 2008 in its bid to impose its own brand of strict Islamic law across the country.
The attack comes as Pakistan struggles to contain a sharp surge in militant violence in recent months. According to statistics released last month by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), combat-related deaths in 2025 rose by 73 percent to 3,387, compared with 1,950 deaths in 2024.
These deaths included 2,115 militants, 664 security forces personnel, 580 civilians, and 28 members of pro-government peace committees, the think tank said. Most of the attacks took place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Pashtun-majority districts and southwestern Balochistan province, the PICSS noted.
On Sunday, three traffic police officials were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Lakki Marwat district. No group claimed responsibility for the incident.
Islamabad accuses the Afghan government of harboring militants who launch attacks against Pakistan, a charge Kabul repeatedly denies. The surge in militant attacks in Pakistan has strained ties between the two neighbors, with Islamabad urging Kabul to take steps to dismantle militant outfits allegedly operating from its soil.
