PERTH, Australia: Pakistan batting star Babar Azam endured a disappointing start to his Big Bash League career, falling for two off five balls on debut for the Sydney Sixers in the opening match against Perth Scorchers at Optus Stadium on Sunday.
The right-handed batter came out to open the innings for Sixers, lost his partner, Daniel Hughes, on just the second delivery of the innings as Cooper Connolly gave the home side an early breakthrough.
Babar eventually got the strike on the last delivery of the first over and sensibly blocked an angling delivery from Connolly.
The star batter struggled for runs in the next over as he defended a length delivery by Joel Paris before surviving a scare when he short-arm-jabbed a hard-length delivery, but could not get the momentum as the ball floated briefly before falling between the fielders stationed at mid-wicket and mid-on.
Babar Azam Out on 2 (5)pic.twitter.com/0WdA6uiMkR
— Gully Point (@gullypoint_) December 14, 2025
The 31-year-old eventually opened his account on the fourth delivery of his BBL career when he awkwardly launched a length delivery between extra cover and sweeper cover to run a couple.
Brody Couch, however, drew curtains on his knock with a hard-length delivery which got big on the star batter, who could not clear the mid-on, where Laurie Evans took a regulation catch.
Widely regarded as one of the finest batters of the modern era, Babar was roped in by the Sixers for the upcoming 15th edition of the BBL as a direct signing.
To bank on the star batter’s fame, the Sixers launched a special fan zone in October, titled “Babaristan” to celebrate the 31-year-old’s maiden stint in the BBL, while also allotting him a special three-digit jersey number, 056.
