ISLAMABAD: Star left-handed opening batter Saim Ayub has departed for London from Cape Town for urgent medical treatment, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Tuesday, as Pakistan races to get him fit ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025 tournament scheduled to kick off in February.
Ayub suffered a right ankle fracture while fielding in the second Test against South Africa at Newlands last week, with the injury ruling him out of competitive cricket for six weeks.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced on Monday that the board will send Ayub to London for medical treatment, hoping that he can be fit in time for the multi-nation Champions Trophy tournament scheduled to begin in February.
“Ayub and Assistant Coach Azhar Mahmood depart from Cape Town to London,” the PCB said. “On the instructions of PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, expert sports orthopedic doctors from England will check on Ayub tomorrow.”
It quoted Naqvi as saying that Ayub was a “valuable asset” for Pakistan cricket and that “all resources will be provided” for his treatment.
“I pray for Ayub’s full recovery,” he said. “I am in constant touch with the doctors regarding Ayub’s health.”
Ayub has cemented his place in Pakistan’s white-ball squad over the past few months. He was instrumental in Pakistan’s 3-0 whitewash over South Africa in the recently concluded ODI series last month. Ayub scored two ODI centuries in the three matches, winning Player of the Series award for his stellar contributions.
Pakistan will play the Champions Trophy tournament opener on Feb. 19 against New Zealand in the eastern city of Lahore.
Pakistan’s star batter Saim Ayub departs for London for urgent treatment
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Pakistan’s star batter Saim Ayub departs for London for urgent treatment
- Ayub suffered fracture in his right ankle last week while fielding against South Africa
- Pakistan are scheduled to face New Zealand in Champions Trophy opener on Feb. 19
Islamabad says surge in aircraft orders after India standoff could end IMF reliance
- Pakistani jets came into the limelight after Islamabad claimed to have shot down six Indian aircraft during a standoff in May last year
- Many countries have since stepped up engagement with Pakistan, while others have proposed learning from PAF’s multi-domain capabilities
ISLAMABAD: Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday said Pakistan has witnessed a surge in aircraft orders after a four-day military standoff with India last year and, if materialized, they could end the country’s reliance on the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The statement came hours after a high-level Bangladeshi defense delegation met Pakistan’s Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu to discuss a potential sale of JF-17 Thunder aircraft, a multi-role fighter jointly developed by China and Pakistan that has become the backbone of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) over the past decade.
Fighter jets used by Pakistan came into the limelight after Islamabad claimed to have shot down six Indian aircraft, including French-made Rafale jets, during the military conflict with India in May last year. India acknowledged losses in the aerial combat but did not specify a number.
Many countries have since stepped up defense engagement with Pakistan, while delegations from multiple other nations have proposed learning from Pakistan Air Force’s multi-domain air warfare capabilities that successfully advanced Chinese military technology performs against Western hardware.
“Right now, the number of orders we are receiving after reaching this point is significant because our aircraft have been tested,” Defense Minister Asif told a Pakistan’s Geo News channel.
“We are receiving those orders, and it is possible that after six months we may not even need the IMF.”
Pakistan markets the Chinese co-developed JF-17 as a lower-cost multi-role fighter and has positioned itself as a supplier able to offer aircraft, training and maintenance outside Western supply chains.
“I am saying this to you with full confidence,” Asif continued. “If, after six months, all these orders materialize, we will not need the IMF.”
Pakistan has repeatedly turned to the IMF for financial assistance to stabilize its economy. These loans come with strict conditions including fiscal reforms, subsidy cuts and measures to increase revenue that Pakistan must implement to secure disbursements.
In Sept. 2024, the IMF approved a $7 billion bailout for Pakistan under its Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program and a separate $1.4 billion loan under its climate resilience fund in May 2025, aimed at strengthening the country’s economic and climate resilience.
Pakistan has long been striving to expand defense exports by leveraging its decades of counter-insurgency experience and a domestic industry that produces aircraft, armored vehicles, munitions and other equipment.
The South Asian country reached a deal worth over $4 billion to sell military equipment to the Libyan National Army, Reuters report last month, citing Pakistani officials. The deal, one of Pakistan’s largest-ever weapons sales, included the sale of 16 JF-17 fighter jets and 12 Super Mushak trainer aircraft for basic pilot training.
