Lahore: South African wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock has found his name in the record books for all the wrong reasons after registering yet another duck — his eighth in T20 International cricket — during the third and final T20I against Pakistan at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.

De Kock, opening the innings for South Africa, was dismissed for zero in the very first over by Pakistan’s fiery left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi. The early dismissal not only dented South Africa’s start but also gave De Kock an unwanted distinction — the most ducks by any South African player in T20I history.

According to official records, De Kock has now played 96 T20 Internationals, getting out eight times without scoring, the highest tally for any Proteas batter in this format.

Following him on the list is Andile Phehlukwayo, who has been dismissed for zero seven times, while Temba Bavuma, JP Duminy, and Reeza Hendricks share the third spot, each with six ducks.

While De Kock’s consistency and explosive stroke play have often been match-winning, his recent dismissals reflect a concerning trend of early exits, particularly against quality new-ball bowlers. Cricket analysts noted that Afridi’s ability to swing the ball sharply into the left-hander exposed a recurring weakness in De Kock’s technique during the powerplay overs.

On the other side, Pakistan also witnessed an unwanted record of its own during the same match. Young opener Saim Ayub was dismissed for a duck, marking his 10th T20I duck — equalling Umar Akmal’s long-standing record for the most ducks by a Pakistani batter.

Saim, playing his 51st T20 International, now joins Akmal, who reached the same tally over 84 matches. This statistic underscores the risk-reward nature of aggressive top-order batting, where players often look to dominate early and sometimes pay the price.

Other Pakistani players on the list include former captain Shahid Afridi and current star Babar Azam, both dismissed eight times without scoring, while Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Nawaz, and Mohammad Hafeez have each suffered seven T20I ducks.

Despite these records, cricket experts highlighted that such dismissals are part of the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket. ESPN’s analyst commented, “Aggressive openers like De Kock and Saim Ayub often walk a fine line between brilliance and failure. One innings can change a game, but a mistimed shot can end it just as quickly.”