Ayub’s Test career began with as much intrigue as controversy. The young left-hander was given a debut earlier this year, picked to open in Australia despite a first-class average that didn’t quite match the numbers expected from a youngster being fast-tracked into the international circuit.

The 22-year-old had played only 15 first-class games, making 1,069 runs at an average of 46.48. Not bad, but the numbers come with a caveat. Ayub, who had debuted in 2022, averaged 32.32 in his first season for Sindh, with 516 runs in 18 innings.

He had a fluent technique but his inability to convert his starts was a concern. Ayub reversed that in 2023, making 553 runs in four Quaid-e-Azam matches, with three hundreds, including a double hundred in the final. Soon after, despite limited experience and a small sample size, he was given a call-up to tour possibly the toughest country there is for a batter.

Ayub vs Huraira: Where did the two stand?

At the heart of the debate around Ayub’s sudden selection was Mohammad Huraira, a domestic run-machine who many believed had done enough to earn his Test cap before Ayub. Huraira, arguably one of Pakistan’s finest first-class batters, ended the 2021 - his debut season - and the 2022 Quaid-e-Azam tournaments as the leading run-scorer, averaging 58 and 73.14, respectively.

What Ayub lacks in terms of consistency and conversion, Huraira has in abundance. Six of his nine hundreds have been scores of more than 150, with two double tons and a triple century. He also has 14 fifties in 67 innings and averages an impressive 55.96 in his first-class career.

The 2023 season, which is when Ayub broke through, was not as rewarding for Huraira, though. He averaged 33 without a hundred and, despite repeated call-ups to the Test team, is yet to make his debut.

How has Ayub’s Test career gone so far?

Ayub’s Test debut in Sydney came after Imam-ul-Haq was unable to leave a mark in the first two Tests. Ayub’s first innings ended in disappointment, dismissed for a duck, a painful introduction to the rigours of Test cricket. But his second innings showed some promise, as he made a composed 33 off 53 balls, the highest contribution in a lacklustre batting display by Pakistan.

Ayub kept his place in the squad for the Bangladesh series despite Huraira scoring 218 against a Bangladesh High-Performance team in Darwin in July. Pakistan captain Shan Masood publicly backed Ayub, saying he needed to be given a “fair chance”.

“We initially felt that it was our ideal chance to check Muhammad Hurraira - what he could offer the Pakistan team after doing so well in domestic cricket in the last three or four years,” said Masood.“Saim, who is in good touch now, showed potential in the second innings against Australia. As a team, you have to send a message of continuity. So we will try to back the players. We want to give him a fair chance.”

Ayub repaid his skipper’s faith with a gritty fifty in Rawalpindi after walking out to bat 16-3. Along with Saud Shakeel, Ayub added 98 runs for the fourth wicket, helping his side recover. While he raised his hand when the team was in trouble, it was also a case of a missed opportunity for Ayub. On a wicket that became flatter as the innings progressed, his failure to convert his half-century into something bigger would have stung.

While Shakeel went on to score 141, forging a mammoth stand with Mohammad Rizwan, who made 171, Ayub’s 98-ball 56 was soon forgotten. In a team that flips its decisions faster than the Karakoram Express running between Karachi and Lahore, Ayub, simply put, needed to carry on.

In the next five innings, he managed 1, 58, 20, 4 and 25, making less than eight percent of the runs his team has made in this period. Five different batters have made hundreds, with Ayub and Babar Azam the only two in the top seven yet to reach triple digits. His dismissal in the second innings against England - an unconventional cut against a short-of-a-length ball while Pakistan were trying to save a Test, was the definition of brain fade, further raising questions over his place in the XI.

An uncertain future awaits

Following their record loss to England, Pakistan cricket has sunk to one of its lowest points in history. The team has not won a home series since February 2021, and they remain winless in their last 11 Test matches on home soil. Masood’s captaincy tenure has started on a disastrous note, with six consecutive defeats, while the white-ball captaincy is in turmoil.

Constant changes in board officials, resignations from coaches, and apparent discord among senior players have only added to the chaos. While many factors contribute to Pakistan's poor performances, in the immediate term, it seems easier to place the blame on underperforming young players like Ayub, making him a likely scapegoat.

The road ahead for him in Test cricket is precarious. While the team management has backed him so far, the realities of international cricket are unforgiving. With Huraira actively breathing down his neck, Ayub’s window of opportunity is narrowing.

Pakistan cricket is notorious for its revolving door policy with young talent. Ayub could well become the latest victim if he doesn't seize his chances soon. His ability to play aggressive, fearless cricket is an asset, but in the Test arena, where patience and temperament are paramount, he will need to adapt quickly. If not, Ayub may end up on the discard pile of promising cricketers who could never quite make the transition.

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