ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s young and dynamic opener, Saim Ayub, has made waves with his spectacular performances in 2024, scoring 109 off 113 balls against South Africa in Paarl and 101 off 94 balls in Johannesburg, earning him a spot on Wisden’s prestigious list of the top 10 ODI innings of the year twice.
In Wisden’s roundup of the top 10 ODI innings of 2024, Saim Ayub’s stunning century has proudly claimed the 4th and 8th position on the prestigious list.
Complete list of the top 10 ODI innings of the year 2024
No.10 Harry Brook (England) 110*off 94 vs Australia, Chester-le-Street, September 24
Chasing 304 runs, England were at 11-2 when Brook, the new captain for the series, came to bat. Rain was predicted, making the chase difficult. Jacks played aggressively against the Australian bowlers, while Brook balanced keeping the wickets and hitting boundaries to stay in the game.
After Jacks got out, Liam Livingstone hit a few big shots. When it started to rain, England was in a strong position, and Brook had also made history as the youngest Englishman to score a hundred in men’s ODIs.
No.9 Sherfane Rutherford (West Indies) 113 of 80 vs Bangladesh, Basseterre, December 8
The West Indies entered this match having lost 11 ODIs in a row to Bangladesh. With a score of 94-3 after 21.4 overs while chasing 295 runs, a twelfth loss looked likely. However, Rutherford, bringing both experience and skill, easily reached the target with his first ODI century.
He took 33 balls to hit his first six, but then smashed seven more in just 47 balls, including an impressive pull shot off Nahid Rana. The West Indies finished the chase in under 48 overs.
No.8 Saim Ayub 101 off 94 vs South Africa, Johannesburg, December 22
After already winning the three-match series, Pakistan aimed for a clean sweep at 3-0. To achieve that, they needed a large score, and Ayub delivered, even after losing Abdullah Shafique early. He hit two beautiful drives off Kagiso Rabada in the seventh over, followed by two powerful pulls off Marco Jansen in the ninth.
Despite facing some strong bowling from the home team, Ayub kept going alongside Babar Azam and then Mohammad Rizwan. His century was crucial in their 37-run victory and capped off an impressive ODI season for the young player.
No.7 Evin Lewis (West Indies) 102 not out off 61 vs Sri Lanka, Pallekele, October 26
After being away from ODIs for three years and three months, Lewis came out to bat with a target of 195 runs in 23 overs. He started slowly, scoring 19 runs off his first 16 balls, then began to play more aggressively while still being careful.
As Rutherford picked up the pace, Lewis made sure the West Indies didn’t lose any wickets or fall behind in the chase. The six that marked both his century and the team’s win capped off a fantastic return to the game.
No.6 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan) 105 off 110 vs South Africa, Sharjah, September 20
In the first ODI, the Afghan bowlers achieved their team’s first win against South Africa in any format. In the second match, the batters stepped up. Gurbaz, known for his amazing performances when batting first, led the way in style, hitting 10 fours and three sixes.
He started strong by hitting a beautiful shot over long-off off Lungi Ngidi and effortlessly pulling Nandre Burger. Even though he slowed down a bit as the ball got older, he maintained a scoring rate close to a run-a-ball. Afghanistan finished with 311-4, while South Africa struggled and only managed 134 runs.
No.5 Amir Jangoo (West Indies) 104* off 83 vs Bangladesh, Basseterre, December 12
Facing a target of 322, the West Indies were in trouble at 86-4 when Jangoo came to bat. Most people didn’t think a debutant with a strike rate below 70 could handle it, but Jangoo proved them wrong. He formed a strong partnership with Keacy Carty, scoring 132 runs together.
Even after Bangladesh took two quick wickets, Jangoo remained steady and helped his team reach the target. It was the kind of debut that every young player dreams about.
No.4 Saim Ayub (Pakistan) 109 off 113 vs South Africa, Paarl, December 17
Before Johannesburg, the West Indies played in Paarl. Chasing 240 runs against bowlers like Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ottneil Baartman, and Tabraiz Shamsi was tough, especially after they fell to 60-4. Ayub started off slowly, scoring only 34 runs off his first 62 balls, but he didn’t give up.
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He changed his usual style and took charge. He would have scored more if he had completed the chase instead of letting Salman Ali Agha finish it.
No.3 Liam Livingstone 124 off 85 vs West Indies, North Sound, November 2
England needed 329 runs in this match and 222 runs when Livingstone came in to bat at number five. Jacob Bethell got out 53 runs later, and Adil Rashid came in at number eight. But that didn’t matter. While Sam Curran scored runs, Livingstone took 52 balls to get to his fifty.
By that time, he had cut the target down to 92 runs from 55 balls, which is a typical T20 chase if England had enough wickets left. Then he stepped up his game, reached his hundred in just 25 more balls, and kept hitting until they won the match.
No.2 Pathum Nissanka (Sri Lanka) 210 off 139 vs Afghanistan, Kandy, February 9
The only double century of the year was also Sri Lanka’s first ever in One Day Internationals, and it was the third-fastest double hundred ever scored in men’s ODIs, taking just 136 balls. This was exciting for stats lovers.
While Afghanistan usually does well in Asia, they were missing Rashid Khan this time, facing a strong batting attack for all 50 overs. Even so, the number of runs scored was impressive enough for him to rank high. By the way, before this inning, Nissanka had hit nine sixes in 49 matches, but here he hit eight!
No.1 Travis Head (Australia) 154 off 129 vs England, Nottingham, September 19
Yes, it’s Travis Head at the top again, and this time not against India!
Eight years ago at the same place, Head started an impressive innings after England set a world record with 481-6. That innings didn’t go far, but this one did. Although Brydon Carse dropped him, it was a tough catch.
A target of 316 might have seemed tough when Australia was 30-1 after five overs, but Head took control of the game, skillfully hitting fours and occasionally sending balls over the boundary. He played so smartly that the required run rate never went above 6.50 until the 33rd over.
Then, in the 34th over, Head hit four balls to the boundary, and they finished the chase with six overs to spare.
