Key points
- Bosch takes four wickets for South Africa
- Pakistan bowled out for 139 runs
ISLAMABAD: Star Pakistan batter Babar Azam matched former captain Shahid Afridi’s unwanted record during the first T20I of the three-match series against South Africa at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Babar, making his T20I return against South Africa after last playing them in 2024, was dismissed for a second-ball duck by Corbin Bosch in the final over of the powerplay.
With this dismissal, the 31-year-old notched his eighth duck in T20Is, equalling Afridi’s record and securing third place on the list of most international ducks in the format.
Opening batter Saim Ayub occupies the second spot with nine ducks in 49 matches, while wicketkeeper-batter Umar Akmal leads the chart with 10 ducks in 84 matches.
Most Ducks for Pakistan in T20I Cricket:
Umar Akmal: 10
Saim Ayub: 9
Babar Azam: 8
Shahid Afridi: 8
Kamran Akmal: 7
Mohammad Hafeez: 7
South Africa defeated Pakistan by 55 runs in the series opener, with Corbin Bosch claiming four wickets and Reeza Hendricks playing a key role with a half-century.
Chasing a challenging target of 195, Pakistan was bowled out for 139 in 18.1 overs.
Top scorer
For South Africa, opener Reeza Hendricks was the top scorer with 60 off 40 balls, including five fours and a six. George Linde added a brisk 36 off 22 balls, while Tony de Zorzi and the returning Quinton de Kock contributed 33 and 23 runs, respectively.
Pakistan’s bowling was spearheaded by Nawaz, who claimed three wickets for 26 runs in four overs. Saim Ayub took two wickets, while Abrar, Naseem, and Shaheen each took one wicket.
In reply, Pakistan’s batting struggled to build partnerships. Saim Ayub was the top scorer with 37 off 28 balls, hitting one four and four sixes. Nawaz fought hard with a knock of 36 off 20, which included four boundaries and two sixes, while Sahibzada Farhan contributed 24 off 19 balls.
Corbin Bosch was the star of South Africa’s bowling attack, taking four wickets, supported by George Linde with three and Williams with two.
