President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari reached out to injured opener Saim Ayub in South Africa on Saturday via a phone call to inquire about his injury.
Saim suffered an ankle fracture while fielding on the second day of the final Test against South Africa at Newlands.
After twisting his ankle, he underwent scans, and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that Ayub has been advised to stay out of action for up to six weeks.
"Saim underwent X-rays and MRI tests this afternoon, and the reports have been sent to specialists in London for further advice on treatment and the time required away from competitive cricket," PCB said in a statement.
Zardari expressed his heartfelt wishes for Ayub's speedy recovery and praised his remarkable batting performances in the recent series.
In response, the 22-year-old thanked the President for his thoughtful gesture and reassured him of his commitment to recover swiftly and make a strong comeback for his team.
Before concluding the telephonic conversation, the 69-year-old President extended his best wishes to the entire team for continued success.
The top-order batter is an integral part of Pakistan’s side, especially in the white-ball format, and has been in outstanding form.
During the white-ball tour of Australia, he showcased his talent by scoring three centuries and one fifty in ODIs, along with an unbeaten 98 in T20Is.
Recently, he continued his brilliance in South Africa, where he was named Player of the Series in the ODIs for his stellar performance, which led Pakistan to clinch a 3-0 whitewash over South Africa, becoming the only team to do so on Proteas soil.
In the ongoing second Test between Pakistan and South Africa, the visitors are currently in pursuit of the hosts' first-innings total of 615 after losing three quick wickets.
Currently, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are at the crease following early dismissals of captain Shan Masood, Kamran Ghulam, and Saud Shakeel.
Notably, South Africa and Australia have secured their spots as the official finalists for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25.
The Proteas clinched their place after a thrilling two-wicket victory over Pakistan in the first Test. Meanwhile, Australia qualified by defeating India in the Sydney Test and claiming the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1.
- Saim Ayub