Pakistan opener and Peshawar Zalmi batter Saim Ayub excluded national star Babar Azam from his dream T20 World XI. Notably, he also left out all Pakistani bowlers, while selecting two Indian players in his lineup.

Speaking on the Zalmi Podcast, Ayub was tasked with naming his ideal T20 XI, with the condition that no more than two players could be selected from any single country. Despite being allowed two Pakistani selections, he opted for only one, left-handed opener Fakhar Zaman, who he paired with Australia’s Travis Head at the top of the order.

England’s explosive wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler was placed at No 3, followed by Nicholas Pooran of the West Indies and South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen, both known for their big-hitting prowess in the middle order.

Ayub included England’s Ben Stokes at No 6 despite the all-rounder having not played a T20I in over two years due to injury concerns. Nevertheless, he praised Stokes’ ability to add depth and firepower to any T20 lineup.

India’s Hardik Pandya was picked as the main all-rounder, while the spin duo comprised Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan and New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner, both renowned for their control and impact in the middle overs.

To spearhead the pace attack, Ayub chose India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Australia’s Mitchell Starc, two of the most formidable fast bowlers in world cricket.

While Azam’s omission sparked debate among fans and cricket analysts, Ayub’s XI reflects a preference for modern, aggressive T20 cricket—favouring versatility, power-hitting, and all-round capabilities over traditional anchors.