 "Babar Azam was left confused and irritated after Steve Smith denied him single in BBL. X/BBL")
Babar Azam was seen smashing the boundary skirtings in anger while walking back to the pavillion after his dismissal in the Big Bash League clash between Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder. The Pakistani batter was dismissed soon after he was denied a single by his opening partner Steve Smith even though the ball went to long-on.
The chain of events started in the 11th over of Sixers’ chase. Azam and Smith had already stitched a partnership of over 100 runs and they seemed set to chase down the target of 190.
On the final delivery of the 11th over, Azam pushed the ball towards long-on but Smith surprisingly refused to run and thus took the strike in the next over. The former Pakistani captain looked perplexed at Smith’s decision.
Smith smashes BBL history as Babar left fuming
Sixers took the ‘Power Surge’ in the next over which is a two-over phase where field restrictions are applied. Smith took full advantage of the surge and slammed four sixes in a row and then a boundary in the 12th over as Azam watched from the non-striker’s end. 32 runs came from the over bowled by Ryan Hadley, the most in the history of BBL.
Babar then took strike in the next over and was clean bowled by Nathan McAndrew. He walked back angrily for a 39-ball 47 and smashed the boundary cushions before crossing them.
Smith reached his ton in the very next over before getting out on the very next ball for a 42-ball 100. The Sixers easily won the game by chasing down 190 in just 17.3 overs and Smith was awarded the Player of the Match.
Smith says Babar not ’too happy’
Speaking after the match, Smith explained that he wanted to take the ‘Power Surge’ and hit towards the short boundary on the leg side due to which he refused the single.
“I looked to try and get 30 off that over. I think we got 32. So it’s a good result. I’m not sure Babar was too happy with me knocking back that single though,” he said.
Earlier, David Warner had also scored a century to propel Thunder’s scored to 189/5 but that did not prove to be enough.