In a dramatic blow for Sydney Sixers, Pakistan star batsman Babar Azam was dismissed cheaply by Australia’s fast outswinger Xavier Bartlett in the Big Bash League 2025-26 (BBL 2025-26) match against Brisbane Heat at the Gabba in Brisbane.
Xavier Bartlett dismisses Babar Azam for 1 for 7 in BBL clash
Xavier Bartlett’s skill with outswinging balls was on full display as he tempted Babar Azam to play a shot across the line in the ongoing final group match of BBL 2025-26 at the Gabba. Actually, Bartlett bowled the length ball targeting the middle and leg stumps.
The former Pakistan captain tried to play a flick shot across the line, but he slightly misjudged the ball. The edge of his bat mistimed the ball and it went straight to Max Bryant, who took a brilliant catch to give Brisbane Heat a vital breakthrough.
Also read: Steve Smith looked deeply troubled by Isa Guha’s ‘Babar Azam’ question after BBL controversy
Bryant’s catch was perfectly timed, as he positioned himself at mid-on and took the ball cleanly through mid-on to the reverse-cup. It was another poor innings for Babar in his debut BBL 2025-26 campaign as he faced seven balls for just 1 run at the Gabba.
Big X!
Babar Azam became the victim of Xavier Bartlett after scoring just one run in seven balls at Gabba. #bbl15 pic.twitter.com/HNDloGFuY9
– KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) 18 January 2026
Babar Azam’s journey so far in Big Bash League 2025-26
Despite inconsistent performances with the bat, Sydney Sixers have repeatedly relied on the right-handed batsman in the ongoing Big Bash League season.
Azam has scored 202 runs in 10 innings at an average of over 28 and a strike rate of over 107 for Sydney Sixers in the ongoing BBL 2025-26 season. He has registered two half-centuries so far in his debut season.
Also Read: Babar Azam’s gesture for Steve Smith after massive collapse in the match between Brisbane Heat and Sydney Sixers breaks the internet
BBL turns cruel to Pakistan stars as Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan create unwanted records
Apart from Babar, Mohammad Rizwan also failed to perform well in the Big Bash League, which was expected to be a big platform for Pakistani batsmen to shine in fast-paced T20 cricket. Fans were hoping to see him play match-winning innings, but the season has told a very different story.
Instead of dominating the attacks, Babar and Rizwan have found themselves under pressure for the wrong reasons. Both the players now top the list which no batsman wants to lead. Of all the players who have faced at least 120 balls in the ongoing BBL 2025-26, Babar and Rizwan are the slowest run-scorers in the tournament.
Rizwan is on top with a strike rate of 102.74, while Babar is close behind with a strike rate of 107.48. In a T20 league, where teams expect batsmen to score runs at lightning speed, these figures put the Pakistani batsmen in a bad position, making the BBL unlikely to retain them for the next season.
Young Australian batsman Sam Konstas with a strike rate of 110.21 and Australia’s Tom Rogers with a strike rate of 127.50 are next on the list, but they are also scoring runs at a faster rate than Babar and Rizwan, who have already lost their places in Pakistan’s T20I teams.
