Lahore, 26 October (H.S.): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that opening batter Saim Ayub has been released from the national one-day international (ODI) squad for the remainder of the ongoing tri-series to return to domestic cricket and work on his batting form and regain confidence.

Following a discussion with head coach Mike Hesson, Ayub requested permission to return to domestic cricket. Respecting his decision and acknowledging his candid assessment of his current form, the team management and the national selection committee agreed to accept his request.

The national selection committee has named Sahibzada Farhan as Ayub’s replacement for the remaining matches of the tri-series.

Pakistan, having secured three consecutive victories to qualify for the final, will face Sri Lanka in the fifth match of the tri-series at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday, October 27.

In a statement, the PCB confirmed that Ayub had requested to return to domestic cricket following his conversation with the head coach, with the aim of improving his batting and rebuilding his confidence.

The board said the team management and national selection committee had mutually agreed to honour his request, and Farhan had subsequently been selected to replace him for the remainder of the tournament.

Ayub managed just 21 runs across his first three matches in the tri-series, extending a difficult run with the bat this year.

Across all three formats for Pakistan in 2026, he has averaged just 16.55, according to the figures cited in the report. He has registered only one score of more than 50 runs during this period, against Australia in February, ahead of the T20 World Cup.

The ongoing tri-series features Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England, with the teams competing for a place in the final scheduled to be held in Lahore on October 31.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar