Rawalpindi, November 18, 2025: Pakistan star batter Babar Azam on Tuesday broke former captain Shahid Afridi’s unwanted record after being dismissed for a three-ball duck in the opening match of the home T20I tri-series against Zimbabwe at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Babar, who recently struck a match-winning half-century in the T20I series decider against South Africa earlier this month, failed to carry his form into the tri-series. The 31-year-old was deceived by Brad Evans’ length delivery, which nipped back sharply and struck him on the back pad, ending his innings without scoring.
The dismissal marked Babar’s ninth duck in T20 Internationals, pushing him past Shahid Afridi on Pakistan’s list of most T20I ducks — a chart currently jointly led by Saim Ayub and Umar Akmal.
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
Babar, who captained Pakistan in three editions of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, had been sidelined from the shortest format after the away series in South Africa last December. He was also omitted from the squad for the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 as selectors shifted focus toward younger talent ahead of the next T20 World Cup.
However, following Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the eight-team Asia Cup, Babar was recalled for the recent home series against South Africa — finalists at the 2024 T20 World Cup. On his return, he surpassed India’s Rohit Sharma to become the all-time leading run-scorer in T20Is.
