Champions Trophy: Shan Masood likely to replace injured Saim Ayub
What's the story
Pakistan's Test captain Shan Masood is being seen as a possible replacement for the injured Saim Ayub in the upcoming Champions Trophy.
Ayub, a promising young opener for Pakistan, is currently out of action with an ankle injury he picked up during a Test match against South Africa.
However, because his recovery progress is still unknown, Pakistan's squad announcement for the tournament has been delayed.
Recovery status
PCB awaiting Ayub's recovery update from London doctors
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is in direct touch with doctors in London, awaiting a final update on Ayub's recovery timeline.
Meanwhile, this is very important for Pakistan as it will determine if he can play in the Champions Trophy or not.
The uncertainty over Ayub's injury status is a major reason behind Pakistan's squad announcement for the tournament being delayed.
Performance matters
Masood's inclusion depends on his performance against WI
According to Geo News, the selectors are considering Masood's inclusion as an opener in the team.
However, his selection depends on his performance in the second Test against West Indies.
Reportedly, both Masood and Imam-ul-Haq are in contention for the important position.
Despite having played only nine ODIs and scoring 163 runs at an average of 18, Masood is seen as a strong contender as he could provide stability at the top.
Squad update
Tentative squad for Champions Trophy announced
According to Cricket Pakistan, the selectors have finalized a tentative squad for the Champions Trophy.
Meanwhile, Fakhar Zaman is likely to make a return, with Imam-ul-Haq as the second opener.
The core team remains unchanged with Babar Azam, skipper Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi all retaining their places.
Most of the players who featured in the ODIs against South Africa are likely to be in this squad, except for Ayub owing to his ongoing injury battle.
Stats
Masood and Ayub's ODI stats in comparison
As mentioned Masood has played nine ODIs and has managed 163 runs at an average of 18.11.
He has a strike rate of 69.65 including a high score of 50.
Meanwhile, Ayub has featured in nine ODIs while racking up 515 runs at an average of 64.37.
Notably, he also owns three tons already and has one fifty under his belt.
Striking at an impressive rate of 105.53 he boasts a high score of 113*.