Pakistan opener Saim Ayub endured another tough outing in the Asia Cup 2025, registering a two-ball duck against the United Arab Emirates in the Group A clash on Wednesday. With this, the left-hander has now recorded his third consecutive duck as an opener in T20Is, equalling the all-time record jointly held by Andre Fletcher (2009) and Mohammad Hafeez (2012).
Most consecutive ducks as opener in T20Is
Saim Ayub has now joined an unwanted list after recording three straight ducks as an opener. Previously, Andre Fletcher (2009) and Mohammad Hafeez (2012) had endured similar streaks. His Asia Cup returns so far read: 0 (1) vs Oman, 0 (1) vs India, and 0 (2) vs UAE.
Most ducks for Pakistan in T20Is
With eight ducks in just 44 innings, Saim Ayub has already equalled Shahid Afridi’s tally of eight ducks, although Afridi needed 90 innings to reach that number. Only Umar Akmal has more ducks for Pakistan in T20Is, with 10 in 79 innings.
Recent form a cause for concern
This is now Saim’s fourth duck in his last six T20I innings, raising questions over Pakistan’s opening combination heading deeper into the Asia Cup. Despite his promise in franchise cricket, the young left-hander has struggled to replicate that form at the international level.
