Babar Azam’s Big Bash season is over a game earlier than anyone in Sydney expected. Late on Thursday, the Sixers confirmed their opener is flying back to Pakistan to attend a national training camp, ruling him out of Friday night’s Challenger against Hobart Hurricanes and – if they get that far – Sunday’s final in Perth.
“The Sydney Sixers have today been informed that Sixers opener Babar Azam is required to return to Pakistan to join his national teammates in camp, as preparations commence for upcoming international matches,” the club said. “As a result, Babar will depart Australia immediately and will not be available for selection for the remainder of the BBL|15 Finals Series.”
The shift comes less than 48 hours after captain Moises Henriques admitted on Fox Cricket that Babar had taken “a couple of days” to settle following a minor on-field disagreement with Steven Smith. It seems off-field scheduling, not that misunderstanding, has ended the batter’s maiden BBL campaign.
Key facts first
• Babar leaves before the Challenger, Sixers v Hurricanes at the SCG.
• Winner travels west to meet the Scorchers in Sunday’s final.
• Pakistan’s camp begins 24 January in the UAE ahead of a three-match T20I series against Australia, starting 29 January.
• Australian squad members still playing the BBL will stay with their franchises until the final; the rest leave for camp on 24 January.
Initial expectations
When Babar signed, the franchise and player believed he would be free for the whole tournament. He was overlooked for Pakistan’s earlier T20I trip to Sri Lanka, so the diary looked clear. Once Pakistan Cricket Board set fresh dates, though, the Sixers had little room to manoeuvre.
General manager Rachael Haynes struck a pragmatic note. “The Sydney Sixers are sincerely grateful for the opportunity to have had Babar represent the club during his time in Australia,” she said. “While we had initially planned for Babar to be available throughout the Finals, he has been an immensely valued member of our group, and we fully understand that the commencement of Pakistan’s national camp means preparations are now underway for upcoming matches.”
Numbers tell one part of the story
Babar departs with 202 runs from 11 innings, two half-centuries, an average of 22.44 and a strike-rate a touch above 103. On paper, those returns look modest, particularly by modern T20 standards where 130-plus is the norm for top-order players. What they don’t show is the trademark technique that still helped Sydney navigate tricky Powerplay overs – the first six balls of each innings when only two fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle – even if boundaries then proved harder to find.
Henriques defended his star signing earlier in the week. He explained how cultural differences, not ill-will, sat behind the Smith incident when the Australian refused a single. “It took a couple of days for that to settle down,” Henriques said. “To be honest, think it’s just a bit of a misunderstanding of culture of each other. It’s a pretty common thing in our culture, and maybe for him (Babar) he wasn’t used to it and didn’t quite understand. Once it was explained to him he was absolutely fine. They’ve kissed and made up and it’s two of the greats back friendly again.”
The skipper added that he and head coach Greg Shipperd had taken charge of smoothing things over: “[We are] always trying to understand…we could visibly see he was quite upset with what happened on the field, so we needed to try and understand why he felt that way. Once we got to the bottom of it, it was okay.”
Babar’s parting words were similarly measured. “First of all, thank you so much Sydney Sixers for having me, all the boys, all the coaches and I have very (sic) enjoyed my time,” he said. “Unfortunately, I will now have to leave the team, to go to the national duty. I have a lot of things I have to take back home–”
Analysis without the fluff
From a cricketing point of view, the Sixers lose a proven international who still occupies opposition planning time, even in lean patches. Finding a like-for-like replacement on the eve of a knockout match is impossible, so expect Daniel Hughes or youngster Jack Edwards to shift up the order. With the SCG likely to offer a slowish surface, Sydney might lean on spin and squeeze rather than chase 200. It is the sort of pragmatic call Shipperd has made for years.
For Pakistan, the recall is logical. A home-away cycle against Australia is no time to leave one of your senior batters adrift, especially with a T20 World Cup only months away. A short camp in the UAE offers familiar conditions and a tight turnaround. Australia, for their part, have agreed to keep their BBL-based players in situ until after the final, balancing national preparation with local commitments.
What next?
First, the Challenger. The Hurricanes have their own overseas talent firing – Tim David and Nikhil Chaudhary have cleared ropes for fun – but they know the Sixers defend scores as well as anyone. Should Sydney win and reach Perth, they will need to match the Scorchers’ pace battery without Babar’s calm up top. It’s a tall order, though not impossible.
The immediate story, though, is simple: Babar Azam’s Australian summer ends early, international duty calls, and the Sixers adjust on the run.
