BBL bowler rubs salt on Babar Azam’s wounds after Smith indicates 'you can't hit a six': 'He loves to play catch-up'

The Sydney Sixers sealed a five-wicket win over the Sydney Thunder in the Moore Park derby on Friday, with Steve Smith’s blistering century anchoring their Big Bash League (BBL) chase. Smith added a century partnership with Babar Azam that laid the foundation for the victory, but it was the drama involving the two star batters, just before the power surge, that drew more attention than the result itself.

Although Smith later clarified that his decision to deny Babar a single was purely tactical, a fresh video that surfaced on social media added another layer to the episode, with Thunder spinner Chris Green heard rubbing salt into Babar’s wounds during the broadcast.

ALSO READ: ‘Not sure if Babar Azam was happy with me’: Steve Smith on hitting 4 sixes in a row after turning down single

Batting on 47 off 36 balls in the 11th over, Babar endured three dot deliveries before nudging the final ball towards long-on and calling for a single. Smith, however, shut it down immediately, keen to retain strike and capitalise on his momentum heading into the power surge. At the time, Smith was motoring along at 52 off 28, and he made the call count, smashing four consecutive sixes off Ryan Hadley to produce the most expensive over in BBL history.

Babar’s frustration was evident when the pair exchanged words mid-pitch at the end of the over. One commentator, while backing Smith’s logic, took a pointed dig at the Pakistan batter, remarking that the decision suggested “you can’t hit a six.”

Moments earlier, Green had already offered a candid assessment of Babar’s T20 approach during the powerplay, making it clear that the Thunder were happy to see the right-hander on strike.

“We want to get Babar Azam facing as many balls as possible up front,” Green said on air. “He likes to sort of ease his way into things and then play catch-up. So try and force him to hit.”

Babar remains among the top 11 run-scorers in T20 cricket and has 11 centuries to his name, the second most in the format’s history. However, his career strike rate of 128.59 is the fourth lowest among batters who have faced at least 7,000 balls since T20 cricket’s inception.

That contrast has been evident in Australia this season. Despite registering two half-centuries, Babar has endured a mixed BBL campaign, scoring 201 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of just 107.8.

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