Ayub had to be taken off the pitch on a stretcher in the seventh over of the match, when Ryan Rickelton bowled a ball through the slips, sending Ayub to deep third with Aamer Jamal out. Jamal pulled it back as Ayoub Riley was set to become the fielder, but he lost his balance and twisted his ankle. He immediately went down and appeared to be in pain, holding the lower part of his leg as the physio ran over.
Despite prolonged treatment outside the boundary line, Ayub was unable to put any weight on his right ankle, and appeared to be crying as he was placed on a stretcher and taken out, an injury that slowed Pakistan’s proceedings. Fell. Things took a turn for the worse after just a few overs when his replacement Abdullah Shafiq gave an easy chance to Aiden Markram at cover. However, Markram was out to Khurram Shahzad two overs later, thus Pakistan would not suffer much damage.
Ayub was sent to hospital immediately after the incident, and shortly after the game ended, the PCB confirmed that he would play no further role in the competition. “Sam underwent an X-ray and MRI examination this afternoon,” the statement said. “The report has been sent to experts in London for advice on treatment and abstinence from competitive cricket.”
He is one of the few regular players across all formats for Pakistan, and was expected to be a key figure for the team in the upcoming Champions Trophy, which Pakistan will host, starting in February. That partnership may now be in serious doubt.
Ayub’s teammate Salman Agha said at the end of the game, “It’s a big blow, the kind of form he’s in.” “He would have been a huge asset on this wicket. I wish him well and hopefully he gets better soon.”
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