Babar Azam equals Saim, Akmal’s unwanted T20I record

Pakistan star Babar Azam found himself in a place he never expected after a sharp delivery from Dushmantha Chameera zipped through his defence and left him stunned. One moment, he looked settled; the next, the stumps lit up. Honestly, you could see the disappointment on his face as he walked back. 

The two-ball duck pushed him alongside Umar Akmal and Saim Ayub at the top of Pakistan’s most ducks in T20Is for Pakistan’s tally. It is not a club anyone wants to be in, but cricket has its own humour, and sometimes it shows up when least anticipated.

A Wicket that Silenced the Crowd

The ball wasn’t extraordinary at first glance. A decent length, a hint of movement, and it stayed lower than Babar expected. That one moment flipped everything. Gasps echoed around the stadium as his off stump went flying. To be fair, the wicket came at the worst possible time for Pakistan, who had already been wobbling early in the chase.

Just a night earlier, Babar’s clean fifty had carried Pakistan to a comfortable win over Zimbabwe. Fans were expecting the same calm control. Instead, Sri Lanka’s early burst dragged the home side into trouble at 43 for 4 inside 6 overs. The scoreboard looked messy, no doubt.

Quick Look At The Numbers

The latest duck is Babar’s 10th in 135 T20Is, pulling him level with two names often associated with Pakistan’s inconsistent top order. Umar Akmal reached the mark in 84 games, while Saim Ayub arrived there far quicker, still early into his international journey.

Behind them sit Shahid Afridi with 8 in 98 matches, then Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez tied on 7. Numbers alone never tell the full story, but they do paint a curious timeline of Pakistan’s batting evolution.

For context, Babar’s exit added fuel to a collapse that once again exposed the middle order. Pakistan slipped to 43 for 4 in the chase of a steep 185. 

When this report was filed, Pakistan was struggling to set the momentum and put up some runs. Salman Ali Agha held firm on 12, while Usman Khan played risk-free cricket on 19. The pair steadied things, though the ask remained tall at 115 off the last 10. The crowd knew it too. Every boundary brought relief, every dot ball tightened the place.

For now, the story is simple. Babar Azam, usually Pakistan’s safest starter, has joined an unwanted list. Cricket fans know how quickly narratives flip. Maybe his next outing changes everything again.