Pakistan Politician Blasts Saim Ayub's Slump Ahead of Asia Cup Final Showdown with India

NEW DELHI: Pakistani politician Firdous Ashiq Awan of the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party has issued a stern warning to Pakistan batter Saim Ayub ahead of the high-octane Asia Cup 2025 final against India at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.Ayub has struggled throughout the tournament, going without scoring in six matches, including four ducks. He scored a duck in the group stage match against India, managed 21 runs in the Super Four, and then failed to score against Oman, India, UAE, and Bangladesh. His lack of runs has raised concerns over his ability to handle high-pressure situations in crunch matches.Addressing the batter, Firdous said in strong terms: "Saim Ayub, jo tumhare ander potential hai. Sardiyan nahi aye ki ande khane hain. Iske bahar niklo. Jo tumhara natural khel hai, wo khelo. Jo tum jis tarah khauf se shots maar ke out ho rahe ho, ye tumhara maiyaar nahi hai [Saim Ayub, you have a lot of potential. Don’t just wait around like it’s winter and you’re here to eat eggs. Step out and play your natural game. The way you are getting out by playing fearful shots is not your standard]," Firdous said."Aggressive cricket khelo. Aur inko dhone ke baad out ho, to hume dhand pad jaegi. Lekin pehli ball pe jana, ye tumhari shaan ke khilaaf hai. Aur humari bhi beizzati hai, bete. Aap thoda pressure se bahar nikal ke aage aao [Play aggressive cricket. Even if you get out after taking calculated risks, that’s understandable. But getting out on the first ball goes against your pride and is also disrespectful to the team. Come out of the pressure and move forward with confidence]," she said.