Babar Azam was unhappy after the incident on the field with Steve Smith during the Big Bash League (BBL) match between Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder on Friday, January 16. The Pakistan star reportedly felt humiliated after Smith refused to take a simple single to keep the strike during the power surge.
Babar has faced problems regarding his strike rate in the T20 format. In BBL, he has scored 201 runs at a strike rate of 107.48. According to Australian media, Babar was not seen after the incident and Smith also avoided talking to journalists. The Sixers are set to play their next match against Brisbane Heat on Sunday.
Steve Smith denies taking single to Babar Azam before power surge
Babar Azam looked quite disappointed after the clash with Steve Smith on the field. Batting in the 40s at a strike rate of around 120, Babar pushed the final ball of the 11th over for a run, but Smith refused to run to keep the strike.
After this, Sydney Sixers took a power surge from the 12th over. Smith took full advantage of this and scored 32 runs including four consecutive sixes off Ryan Hadlee and created a new record for most runs in one over in BBL history.
Babar faced the first ball of the next over and was clean bowled by Nathan McAndrew. After being out, he went into a rage and hit the boundary cushion with his bat. He played his best innings of the season by scoring 47 runs in 39 balls.
Smith continued his impressive performance and scored 100 runs in 42 balls. His innings helped the Sixers achieve the target of 190 runs in 18 overs.
Babar Azam feels “humiliated” after Steve Smith refuses to take a single
According to Code Sports, Babar Azam remained worried after the match. It was reported that Babar spoke to his teammates in the dressing room and said that he felt humiliated when Steve Smith decided to keep the strike for a power surge.
“Babar Azam’s epic dummy spit during the Sydney Sixers’ win over the Thunder last night didn’t just last on the pitch, sources have now confirmed it continued in the dressing room too, where he told players he felt humiliated after Smudge deliberately caught the strike for a power surge.”
Steve Smith’s strike-refusal call sparks online debate
The incident immediately attracted attention on social media. Fans were divided on whether Smith’s decision was wise or showed a lack of respect.
Steve Smith later explained why he did not give a single to Babar Azam before the power surge. Smith said that the captain and coach wanted him to take the surge at the score of 10 overs, but he asked for one more over so that he could target the short boundary.
Smith admitted that Babar was not happy with the decision. He said that this call was strategic to help the team win. The batsman said his focus was on using the power surge at the right time.
Mitchell Starc, who played his first Big Bash League match in 11 years on Friday, said that he was not aware of the incident that happened during the game. He said that in T20 cricket, like bowlers, batsmen are also often looking for favorable matches.
Also read: “Father would have taken a single…”: Virat Kohli dragged into Steve Smith-Babar Azam controversy in BBL
