Pakistan’s young left-handed batter Saim Ayub endured another tough day at the crease in the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025. Playing against Bangladesh in the Super Four clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the 23-year-old was dismissed for a duck after facing just three deliveries.
This marked yet another low score in what has been a frustrating campaign for the talented opener.
Four Ducks in the Same Tournament
Saim’s dismissal from Bangladesh wasn’t an isolated case. Earlier in the group stage, he had been dismissed without scoring against Oman, India, and the UAE. With this latest failure, Saim registered his fourth duck of the tournament, highlighting his struggle to find form in this high-pressure event.
He fell in the second over of the innings, edging a delivery from spinner Mehidy Hasan, leaving Pakistan under early pressure.
Breaking Shahid Afridi’s Record
With this dismissal, Saim Ayub reached an unwanted milestone – his ninth career duck in T20 Internationals. This pushed him past former captain and legendary all-rounder Shahid Afridi, who had eight ducks in his T20I career.
While Afridi’s aggressive batting style often contributed to quick dismissals, Saim’s record is particularly concerning given his role as an opener tasked with providing stability at the top.
Pakistan’s List of Most T20I Ducks
The unwanted list of Pakistani batters with the most ducks in T20 Internationals is now led by Umar Akmal, while Saim Ayub has moved up the rankings. Some of Pakistan’s biggest names also feature in this record list:
- Umar Akmal – Most ducks in T20Is for Pakistan
- Saim Ayub – 9 ducks (including 4 in Asia Cup 2025)
- Shahid Afridi – 8 ducks
- Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal – 7 ducks each
Looking Ahead
Despite his talent and promise, Saim Ayub’s repeated failures in this Asia Cup will raise questions about his consistency and temperament at the international level. As Pakistan prepares for the upcoming final, the team management will be hoping he can regroup and rediscover his form.
For now, though, Saim has unfortunately written his name into the record books for the wrong reasons, surpassing Shahid Afridi in a statistic no batter wants to lead.
