Saim Ayub Equals Shahid Afridi Record for Most Ducks in T20Is

Pakistan’s young left-handed opener Saim Ayub had another disappointing outing as he registered an unwanted record by getting dismissed for a two-ball duck against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a crucial ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old batter has been struggling badly in this tournament. Earlier, he was dismissed for a golden duck (out on the very first ball) in both of Pakistan’s opening games — first against Oman and then in the high-pressure clash against arch-rivals India. With another failure against UAE, Ayub’s poor run with the bat has continued, and he has yet to score a single run in the competition.

In the latest match, Ayub faced pacer Junaid Siddique in the very first over. On the fifth delivery of the innings, Siddique bowled a short and wide ball outside the off-stump. Ayub attempted a powerful slash, but instead of sending the ball over the field, he mistimed it. The ball carried straight to Muhammad Rohid, positioned at deep third man, who made no mistake in completing the catch. This early dismissal put Pakistan under pressure in what was considered a must-win encounter.

This duck added another unwanted statistic to Saim Ayub’s name. It was his eighth duck in T20 internationals (T20Is), which brought him level with former captain and legendary all-rounder Shahid Afridi on the list of Pakistan players with the most ducks in T20 cricket. The list is currently led by middle-order batter Umar Akmal, who has been out of the national side for several years.

For context, other big names such as Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, and Kamran Akmal are also on this list, showing that even top players have gone through tough patches in their careers. However, Ayub’s quick rise to the list is worrying for both him and the selectors, given that he has played far fewer matches compared to others.

Most Ducks for Pakistan in T20Is:

• Umar Akmal – 10 ducks in 84 matches
• Shahid Afridi – 8 ducks in 98 matches
• Saim Ayub – 8 ducks in 44 matches
• Kamran Akmal – 7 ducks in 58 matches
• Mohammad Hafeez – 7 ducks in 119 matches
• Babar Azam – 7 ducks in 128 matches

Another unwanted record was also added to Ayub’s career. He became the 62nd batter in men’s T20Is to suffer three consecutive ducks. Interestingly, two other Pakistani players, Mohammad Hafeez and Abdullah Shafique, are also part of this unwanted club.

Among them, Abdullah Shafique holds the unfortunate record of being at the very top, with four consecutive ducks in T20Is.

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