In white-ball cricket, particularly T20Is, strike rate is widely regarded as equally important—if not more so—than batting averages. With openers from the world’s top teams maintaining strike rates well above 150, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan cannot realistically be considered Pakistan’s “most successful T20I opening pair” when their career strike rates remain below 130. Their high consistency and averages come at the expense of pedestrian strike rates, which has hindered the team's progress and, at times, turned Pakistan into a subject of ridicule in T20 cricket.
While it’s true that Babar and Shaheen have played a role in Saim Ayub’s development, Rizwan’s failure to advocate for his inclusion in the T20I squad after a successful ODI tour in Australia was surprising. Credit for Saim’s reintroduction goes to Agha Salman, who backed his inclusion during the Zimbabwe series, ultimately paving the way for his selection in South Africa. Even more surprising was Saim being sent in at one-down rather than as an opener in South Africa, a role he proved himself in during the very next match.
