Pakistan's left-handed opener Saim Ayub was taken off the field on Friday after spraining his ankle while fielding in the second Test match against South Africa.

Young Pakistan opener Saim Ayub was carried off the field on a stretcher after suffering a painful ankle injury less than an hour into the first day of the second Test against South Africa. Ayub twisted his ankle and grimaced in pain before receiving help from his teammates and the team's physiotherapist on the sidelines at Newlands. The 22-year-old was later taken to the dressing room, first by trolley and then by wheelchair.

The injury occurred in the seventh over when Ryan Rickelton hit a Mohammad Abbas ball through the slip cordon. As two Pakistani fielders, Aamer Jamal and Saim Ayub, chased the ball to the boundary, Jamal managed to slip and catch it just before it reached the rope. He threw it to Saim Ayub, who assisted him.

However, as Ayub tried to stop and catch the ball, he lost his footing and his body weight fell awkwardly on his right ankle. The 22-year-old batsman stumbled backwards and immediately fell to the ground in pain, clutching his leg.

Ayub was visibly in pain and immediately called a physiotherapist while his teammates attended to him. His right ankle was bandaged and he needed help from substitutes to get to the car. There is no official statement from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as of yet, but the injury does not promise a quick return.

Ayub lost his footing and stumbled backwards as he tried to stop a ball from flying into the boundary. His entire body weight was on his right ankle, which twisted awkwardly beneath him. Ayub immediately fell to the ground, clutching his leg in visible pain.

Jamal and Babar Azam rushed to his aid before medical staff arrived. Ayub's ankle was bandaged on the field before being taken away on a stretcher. The severity of the injury is unclear and his return to the game is uncertain.