Friday night at the SCG should have been remembered simply for a pair of classy half-centuries, yet the Sydney derby ended up revolving around one awkward mid-pitch exchange.
Steven Smith and Babar Azam had rattled along to 141 without loss for the Sydney Sixers when the flash-point came. After three dots to Chris Green, Babar nudged the sixth ball of the 11th over towards long-on and set off. Smith waved his partner back, insisting he wanted first strike for the ‘power surge’ – two overs in which only two fielders can patrol the deep once the tenth over has passed.
At that stage Babar sat on 47 from 38; Smith 58 from 28. The Pakistan captain did not hide his annoyance when the pair crossed paths. One over later Smith vindicated (some would say justified) the call, flogging Ryan Hadley for 32 – four sixes and a couple of fours, the priciest over in Big Bash history.
Smith’s reluctance to sprint a second off the last ball of that over added another layer of tension. The single finally came, leaving Babar to face Nathan McAndrew. First ball, he chopped on trying to swipe across the line, then smacked a boundary marker with his bat and stalked off. Smith reached a 41-ball century next delivery and holed out trying for another.
The former Australia captain avoided the formal press conference, yet he did touch on the tactic at the presentation:
“We spoke at the ten-over mark, and they [the captain and coach] said take the surge straightaway,” Smith told Channel 7. “I was like, ‘Nah, give it one over. I want to hit to the short boundary. I don’t want to screw up the first over. I’ll try to get 30 off that over’. [I] think we got 32, so it was a good result. Not sure Babar was too happy with me knocking back that single.”
Mark Waugh, watching on Fox, was unimpressed by the visible anger:
“Not a good look, that. Whatever you’re feeling, don’t show that.”
Babar skipped the post-match mingle, at least initially, and the Sixers camp kept its counsel. Mitchell Starc, fresh from his first BBL outing in 11 years, admitted he had missed the incident completely:
“I didn’t actually see it,” he said. “I kind of heard something from someone else just before, but I haven’t seen it. So [I] might have to go and have a look, and make an opinion from there. I mean it’s part of T20 cricket if you see a match-up you like [that]. Clearly he [Smith] did, and took it for 34 [32] or something like that.”
The left-armer added, philosophically:
“That’s what we want in the surge. We’ve kind of seen it with teams retiring batters as well – you see a match-up that might be better or whatever it may be. So, yes, Smithy must have liked that match-up, and took him on.”
Some supporters saw the moment as a senior pro taking ownership; others as poor communication between two world-class players. Either way, the Sixers now have little time to dwell. They head to the Gabba on Sunday for a straight shoot-out with Brisbane Heat; winner advances, loser goes home. Internal harmony – or at least a quick chat – probably wouldn’t hurt.
