Pakistan opener Abdullah Shafique has etched his name into an unfortunate piece of cricketing history by becoming the first opener to record three ducks in a three-match bilateral ODI series. This unwanted feat occurred during Pakistan's third ODI against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, where Shafique’s poor run continued as he was dismissed on the second delivery of the match.

Shafique's string of ducks places him in the same category as several cricketing greats, including Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, and Suryakumar Yadav, who have all faced consecutive scoreless innings in ODIs. However, Shafique's feat is unique as it makes him the quickest opener to register three ducks in a bilateral series. The only other opener to achieve a similar record is New Zealand's Martin Guptill, who recorded three ducks in a seven-match series against Sri Lanka in 2015.

Shafique’s dismissal in the third ODI, caught off Kagiso Rabada’s bowling on the very first ball, sealed his hat-trick of ducks. This also placed him on a list of players with the most consecutive ducks in ODIs, alongside legends like Mahela Jayawardene, Shane Watson, and Sachin Tendulkar. The record for the most consecutive ducks in ODIs is held by Lasith Malinga, Craig White, and Henry Olonga, with four each. If Shafique fails to score in his next outing, he will join them at the top of this unfortunate list.

Prior to this series, Shafique had only recorded one duck in his ODI career, but his current streak has raised concerns over his form. In 2024, the 24-year-old opener has been dismissed for zero seven times out of 21 innings, setting the record for the most ducks by a Pakistani opener in a calendar year. His current run-tally stands at 612 runs in 21 innings, with an average of 32.21.