BBL signals exit door for Babar Azam as knockout pressure mounts

Babar Azam’s first-ever Big Bash League journey has ended not with fireworks, but with controversy, confusion, and uncomfortable questions about where he truly stood in Sydney Sixers’ plans as the tournament reached its most crucial phase.

Just hours before the Sixers walked into a Challenger Final against Hobart Hurricanes, the franchise announced that Babar would be leaving Australia to join Pakistan’s national team camp ahead of the upcoming T20I series against Australia. Officially, it was “national duty.” Unofficially, the timing raised eyebrows across the cricketing world.

Babar was initially signed for the entire BBL season. He was not part of Pakistan’s recent T20I series against Sri Lanka, and the PCB has yet to issue any formal statement confirming that his recall was pre-planned. Yet suddenly, on the eve of a knockout match, one of the biggest names in world cricket was on a flight home.

The situation grew even murkier when former Australian batter and commentator Mark Waugh openly suggested on live television that the Sixers should drop Babar from the XI, questioning his impact at the top of the order despite acknowledging his world-class status. For a league that prides itself on embracing global stars, the optics were hard to ignore.

Inside the Sixers camp, captain Moises Henriques revealed that Babar had been “quite upset” after an on-field incident involving Steven Smith earlier in the tournament, an admission that hinted at deeper frustrations beneath the surface. While the franchise publicly thanked Babar for his professionalism and contribution, the sense of wholehearted backing felt noticeably absent.

Statistically, Babar’s BBL stint was underwhelming by his lofty standards: 202 runs in 11 matches, an average of 22.44, and a strike rate of just 103. Two half-centuries showed glimpses of his class, but in a league obsessed with explosive power, elegance alone wasn’t enough to silence critics.

What makes the episode more striking is the contrast in treatment. Australian players involved in the BBL have been allowed to stay with their franchises until after the final, even with international commitments looming. Babar, meanwhile, was sent home before the biggest matches of the season, a decision that feels less like coincidence and more like a quiet conclusion.

Whether this was a PCB-driven recall, a mutual agreement, or an unspoken preference from the league and franchise, one thing is clear: when the BBL knockouts arrived, Babar Azam was no longer part of the picture.

For a player of his stature, the question now isn’t just about form, it’s about fit. And after this chapter, the BBL’s relationship with one of cricket’s biggest names may never be viewed the same way again.