Babar Azam Exposed By Sydney Sixers Captain Over Steve Smith Controversy; The culture gap between Australia and Pakistan explained

The Babar Azam and Steve Smith controversy escalated from the cricket field to the dressing room; However, Sydney Sixers skipper Moises Henriques has now given a clear insight into the issue, citing the difference in cultures of the two countries as the main reason for the misunderstanding.

Pakistani cricket veteran Babar Azam made his debut for the Sydney Sixers in this edition of the Big Bash League and later got an absolutely fantastic opportunity to open the innings alongside Australian veteran Steve Smith.

Smith, on the other hand, is a true legend of the game, much like the BBL. He played for the Sydney Sixers and is the highest scorer for them in 9 of their last 11 games. This season of the BBL, Smith has averaged over 83 in the Big Bash and has had a sublime touch.

Steve Smith and Babar Azam’s BBL controversy decoded by Sydney Sixers skipper

A major controversy began when Steve Smith and Babar Azam struck a partnership for the first time against the Sydney Thunder, and Smith denied Babar Azam’s appeal for a single in the last ball of the 11th over of the match.

Instead, Smith had some plans as he was the heavy striker in the match and therefore wanted to preserve the strike with a Power Surge call, which marks a 2-over powerplay for the batting team in the BBL. Smith scored 32 runs in the 12th over of the match.

However, Babar Azam took offense at Smith denying him a single and looked visibly frustrated as he left the field after being dismissed on the first ball of the 13th over. He also said in the locker room that he was not happy with the way the Australian veteran treated him.

The controversy took a major toll on the Sydney Sixers; However, Smith continued to score points from his side. Moises Henriques has now revealed that it was just a misunderstanding between the two players who belong to different cultures.

“It took a few days for that to settle down,” Henriques told Fox Cricket. “Honestly, I think it’s just a bit of a misunderstanding of each other’s culture.”

“It’s quite common in our culture, and maybe he (Babar) wasn’t used to it and didn’t quite understand it. Once it was explained to him, he was fine. They kissed and made up and they are two of the greats friendly again.”

“[We are] we always tried to understand… we could visibly see that he was quite angry about what was happening on the pitch, so we had to try to understand why he felt that way. Once we got to the bottom, it was OK.”

“Two of the greats, friendly back again.”

Moises Henriques explains the situation between Babar Azam and Steve Smith at the SCG. #BBL15 pic.twitter.com/vcUj6m4XrD

— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 20, 2026

Babar Azam scores his first duck in the BBL

Babar Azam made his debut in the BBL and did not have the best of seasons from a batting perspective. Babar made a poor start to the tournament with single-figure scores and then broke the shackles to score his maiden BBL half-century.

Going into the crucial match in the qualifier when it mattered most, Babar Azam was dismissed for a duck, that too in a most humiliating manner. Cooper Connolly dismissed the experienced batsman for a duck with a sharp punch from Josh Inglis.

Before this match, Azam had managed just 202 runs at an average of 22.44 and a strike rate of less than 105. His form has been extremely poor, and the Sixers might consider dropping him for them in the rest of the knockout matches.

Sydney Sixers were hoping for Steve Smith for a place in the final

The Sydney Sixers started winning games with domination when Steve Smith returned to play for the franchise after the end of the Ashes series. They replaced the Hobart Hurricanes at No. 1. 2 and qualified for qualifying against the Perth Scorchers.

The Scorchers and Sixers will play the qualifier at Optus Stadium in Perth, with the winning team advancing to the final and hosting it on their home ground. The Scorchers were limited to a small score; however, the Sixers faced tremendous struggle to chase it down.

After the disappointing show from all the batters, the responsibility lay with Steve Smith, who was batting flawlessly at the top. However, Smith succumbed to the pressure created by the fall of the other side’s wickets and was dismissed for 37, ending the Sixers’ hopes.

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