Key points
- Third single-digit score in BBL 15
- Brief recovery with maiden BBL half-century
- Mixed form continues in T20 comeback
SYDNEY: Pakistan star batter Babar Azam’s inconsistent form with the bat persisted in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) 15 as he was dismissed for just two runs while representing Sydney Sixers against Melbourne Stars at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.
Babar was undone by Melbourne Stars all-rounder Tom Curran, whose disciplined out-swing bowling kept the right-hander under pressure.
The former Pakistan captain missed his first three deliveries, which carried safely to the wicketkeeper, before edging a sharply swinging ball to slip, where Glenn Maxwell completed a straightforward catch. Babar faced seven balls during his brief stay at the crease.
This was the third occasion in the tournament that Babar was dismissed for a single-digit score. He had earlier managed only two runs off five balls on his debut against Perth Scorchers, followed by nine off 11 deliveries against Adelaide Strikers, as Sydney Sixers suffered consecutive defeats.
Recovery
However, Babar showed signs of recovery in the third match, scoring his maiden BBL half-century with a 58-run knock off 42 balls, featuring five fours and two sixes, which helped the Sixers secure their first win of the season.
The 31-year-old recently returned to T20 internationals after a break since December 2024.
His comeback series against South Africa began with a duck, followed by scores of 11 and 68. In the T20I tri-series involving Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, Babar has scored 127 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 112.38, including one half-century.
