A cricket team requires it’s batters to score runs to either build a total that can be defended or chase down one before the prescribed time. Batters often find themselves scoring runs in a bulk. So much that scoring 50 runs is called a half century and scoring 100 is called a century. The existence of these milestones itself implies the importance of run-scoring which is a fundamental trait for every player of the sport.
When a batter is dismissed without scoring any runs, he or she is said to be out on a duck. A score of zero against the batter’s name can be very embarassing. Test cricket is a format where each team almost always needs to bat twice to procure a result. This means that each batter gets two turns to score runs. They might bat modestly in both the innings, or score heavily in one and less in the other, or score immensely in both the innings.
The worst possible outcome is to score zero runs in both the innings. When this happens, the batter is said to have achieved a pair.
If a batter is out on the first ball (golden duck) in both the innings, then they record a ‘king pair‘ against their name. As of June 2025, 25 batters have recorded this feature in international test cricket. New Zealand’s Chris Martin, predominantly a fast bowler, has got out for a pair on a record seven instances. Notably, Marvan Atapattu, a batter and former captain of Sri Lanka has recorded four pairs. Since 1880, 45 players have recorded a pair on their test debut, ten of them representing South Africa.
In 2018, Pakistan’s Sarfaraz Ahmed and South Africa’s Faf du Plessis made a pair in the same match. This marked the first instance where the captains of both sides recorded a pair in the same match. Similarly, a test between New Zealand and Ireland saw Jonny Bairstow and Gary Wilson scored two ducks in the same match. This was the first time where two designated wicket-keepers recorded a pair in the same match.
Limited overs cricket include One Day International cricket and T20 Internationals. Each of these formats sees both teams bat for one innings each. However, in some instances when a tie takes place, a Super Over acts as the tiebreaker. If a batter who got out on a duck in the regular innings also gets dismissed for zero in the Super Over, then they are said to achieve an unofficial pair. The word unofficial is used as runs scored in the Super Over do not contribute to the individual’s career statistics.
As of June 2025, no instance of an unofficial pair has been recorded in international cricket. However, in T20 leagues, Shoaib Malik, Moises Henriques, and Nicholas Pooran have registered unofficial pairs.
