RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s premier batter Babar Azam has overtaken former captain Shahid Afridi for an unwanted milestone in T20 international cricket after registering a three-ball duck during the opening match of the T20I tri-series against Zimbabwe at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Babar, who recently starred with a match-winning half-century in the home series decider against South Africa, failed to continue his momentum as he fell for a duck when Brad Evans produced a sharp in-seaming delivery that struck him on the back leg early in the innings.
The 31-year-old has now recorded nine ducks in T20Is, moving past Afridi’s eight and now trailing only Umar Akmal and Saim Ayub, who jointly hold the record for most T20I ducks by a Pakistan player.
Most Ducks for Pakistan in T20Is
Umar Akmal – 10 ducks in 84 matches
Saim Ayub – 10 ducks in 52 matches*
Babar Azam – 9 ducks in 132 matches*
Shahid Afridi – 8 ducks in 98 matches
Kamran Akmal – 7 ducks in 58 matches
Mohammad Hafeez – 7 ducks in 119 matches
The former Pakistan captain, who led the national side in three ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaigns, was sidelined from the shortest format after the away series against South Africa in late 2024 and was not included in the squad for the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 as selectors focused on developing young talent ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup.
However, following Pakistan’s disappointing Asia Cup outing, Babar made his return for the recent home assignment against South Africa, where he surpassed India’s Rohit Sharma to become the highest run-scorer in T20 international cricket history.
