Babar Azam Leaves Big Bash Amid Criticism for Slow Batting

Staff Report: PNN

Pakistani star batsman Babar Azam, underperforming in the current Big Bash League, has ended his Australian franchise stint midway to join the national team.

This season, Babar batted 11 innings in 11 matches for Sydney Sixers, scoring 202 runs off 196 balls with an average of 22.44 and a strike rate of 103.06. He hit two fifties, but many considered his batting too slow for T20 standards. Only Pakistan teammate Mohammad Rizwan had a lower strike rate among players with at least ten matches.

Due to this performance, discussions began about dropping Babar from the Sydney Sixers lineup. Former Australian captain and cricket legend Mark Waugh stated on live broadcast, “Babar is a world-class player, no doubt, but in this format, he hasn’t contributed enough for the team. Unfortunately, a new opener should be considered.”

A day after Waugh’s comment, Babar’s Big Bash tenure ended. Sydney Sixers confirmed he will join Pakistan’s camp for the three-match T20 series against Australia starting January 29, making him unavailable for the remainder of the tournament.

This was Babar Azam’s first Big Bash participation. Known for strong batting, his lack of fours and sixes drew questions about his performance. Among batsmen with at least ten matches, Finn Allen of Perth Scorchers hit the most sixes (37). In contrast, Babar hit only 3 sixes and 19 fours in 11 innings, ranking him at the bottom for boundary hitting.

In a farewell message, Babar thanked Sydney Sixers and their supporters, saying, “I am grateful for the opportunity to play here and enjoyed my time, but I have to leave to answer the call of my country.” Sydney Sixers will face Hobart Hurricanes in the Challenger Final tomorrow, with the winner to play Perth Scorchers in the final on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Pakistan will start its World Cup mission after the T20 series against Australia, with Babar’s role closely watched by cricket fans.