Pakistani opener Abdullah Shafique’s batting difficulties persisted during the third ODI against South Africa on Sunday, where he was dismissed for his third consecutive duck in the series.

This unfortunate streak places him in the company of cricket legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting, who also faced multiple scoreless innings in succession.

The 25-year-old was unable to make an impact at the Wanderers Stadium, falling victim to South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada for a golden duck. In the earlier matches of the series, Shafique was bowled by Marco Jansen for a four-ball duck in the first ODI at Boland Park in Paarl and in the second ODI in Cape Town, he was caught behind off Jansen’s bowling after just two balls.

With three ducks in a row, Shafique has unwittingly joined a list of notable cricketers, including Mahela Jayawardene and Shane Watson, who share this undesirable record.

The all-time record for consecutive ducks in ODIs is four, a mark held by Lasith Malinga, Craig White, and Henry Olonga. Should Abdullah Shafique fail to score in his next match, he will equal this dubious record.

Among Pakistani openers, Shafique is only the second player, following Salman Butt, to record three consecutive ducks in ODIs.

He also joins an exclusive group as the ninth opener in ODI history to achieve this unfortunate milestone. This list includes several other Pakistani cricketers, such as Shoaib Mohammad, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Wasim, and Shadab Kabir.