RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam endured a disappointing return to international T20 cricket, registering a duck in the opening match against South Africa a moment that placed him alongside Shahid Afridi on the list of most ducks in T20Is for Pakistan.
Making his comeback to the limited-overs side after nearly a year, Babar walked out at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium to high expectations but failed to get off the mark. His dismissal for zero added another unwanted entry to his T20I record, taking his tally of ducks to eight the same as Afridi’s.
According to the updated list, Umar Akmal continues to lead with 10 ducks, followed by Saim Ayub with nine. Babar Azam and Shahid Afridi now share the third spot with eight each, while Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez follow closely with seven apiece.
Most Ducks for Pakistan in T20Is:
- Umar Akmal — 10
- Saim Ayub — 9
- Babar Azam — 8
- Shahid Afridi — 8
- Kamran Akmal — 7
- Mohammad Hafeez — 7
As for the match itself, South Africa cruised to a comfortable 55-run victory to take a 1–0 lead in the three-match series. Batting first, the visitors posted a competitive 194 for 9 in their allotted 20 overs, powered by Reeza Hendricks’ fluent 60 off 40 balls. Quinton de Kock (23) and Tony de Zorzi (33) provided valuable contributions at the top, while Mohammad Nawaz impressed with the ball, taking three wickets to curb the scoring rate in the middle overs.
Pakistan’s chase, however, never quite took off. Despite a promising 31-run opening stand between Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan, the home side crumbled under pressure. Babar Azam’s early dismissal for a duck further dented the innings, and wickets fell at regular intervals. Saim Ayub top-scored with 37 off 28 balls, but no other batter managed to build on the start.
Corbin Bosch was the standout performer with the ball for South Africa, claiming four wickets, while George Linde chipped in with three to dismantle Pakistan’s batting order.
With the win, South Africa secured a strong start to the series. The next T20I will take place at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Friday, October 31, where Pakistan will be hoping to bounce back and level the series.
