In the BBL game between Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder on Friday, Babar Azam looked visibly annoyed when Steve Smith chose to keep strike, denying him a single before the power surge. Off the last ball in an over he had played a few dot balls, the Pakistan star hit the ball to long-on, but Smith refused to run. Next over, Smith smashed four sixes. Off the first ball of the next over, Babar got out, smashing the advertising cushioning on the boundary enroute to retreating into his dressing room. Smith later admitted that Babar wasn’t “too happy” with the decision but explained his choice was tactical — to take the Power Surge at the optimal time and that he wanted to keep the strike to target the shorter boundaries. On the YouTube channel ‘Game Plan’, former Pakistan batsman Kamran Akmal called it disrespectful. “This shouldn’t have happened. I understand Smith hit a fast hundred. He could have told Babar before that the ball ‘don’t take a single’. Not like this. This is a disrespect,” Babar said. “IF Sydney sixes aren’t happy with Babar, drop him. Don’t disrespect him like this. Make him sit out, only. Team first always, if he isn’t right for the team, then rest him. But don’t do this,” Akmal said. ALSO READ | ‘Get out the way Babar!’: Steve Smith left miffed by Babar Azam’s fielding error in BBL Another guest in that show, the former player Basit Ali didn’t quite agree with Akmal’s take. He said Smith proved it by slamming four sixes next over. “Smith proved it next over. At one point, I thought he would hit 6 sixes in that over. He answered it na?” And he went on to say that Babar had brought it upon himself by his style of play, and dropped the reference to Kohli. Story continues below this ad “If Virat Kohli had wanted to take this single like Babar Azam, Steve Smith ka baap bhi single leta!” Basit said. “You have brought your own value down with your game. Pakistan’s name is not sullied by this. People who say that are fools (“Bewakoof”). Babar went to play Big Bash because he was invited there, but the Pakistan cricket board didn’t send him,” Basit Ali said. Akmal clarified that he understands Smith’s call and his talent, and said that the decision to not to take a single could have been conveyed to the Pakistan cricketer, instead of publicly denying it. “I am not discrediting Smith. Great player. Plays only Tests and then comes in T20 and does this. But Babar is Pakistan’s no1 player. He is very popular. He may not have the following of Virat Kohli but Babar has at least 50% of his fandom, Babar has. He has shown it with his performances. I am not saying Smith was not thinking about winning the match. I couldn’t even dream that Babar could have done what Smith did – hit four sixes. Don’t think he can even hit three sixes. So, Smith proved it. All I just want to say is that Babar is an opener, not a tailender. Not just Babar, but if it was any other top-order batsmen, I would have said. But I agree … in that over where the incident happened, Babar had three-four dot balls. If someone has three dot balls in a T20 cricket at that stage, who is to blame? Our best players aren’t showing the kind of intent that the local players in Big Bash show,” Akmal said. When visuals of Babar slamming his bat on his way out played out on the telly, Mark Waugh termed it “not a good look”. Story continues below this ad A few days back, Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan had become the first overseas batsman to be retired out in the history of the Big Bash League (BBL). Rizwan, playing for Melbourne Renegades against Sydney Thunder, had struggled his way to 26 in 23 balls before being called back by captain Will Sutherland. The Renegades went on to lose the match by four wickets via the DLS method. Overall, Rizwan is only the third batsman in BBL history to be retired without an injury.
‘If Virat Kohli wanted to take single like Babar Azam, Steve Smith ka baap bhi single leta!’: Basit Ali and Kamran Akmal on Big Bash episode
