Sydney: Pakistani star Babar Azam, representing Sydney Sixers in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL), appeared clearly unhappy when his batting partner Steve Smith refused to take a single on the last ball of an over during their match against Sydney Thunder.
In a video widely shared on social media, the incident occurred on the final delivery of the 11th over of Sydney Sixers’ innings.
Babar played a shot but Steve Smith deliberately declined the single, seemingly to ensure he would face the bowler in the next over.
At that point, Babar had already faced three consecutive dot balls in the over and was keen to take a single on the last ball to regain the strike for the following over.
However, Smith’s refusal left Babar visibly disappointed and frustrated. Despite the moment of tension, Steve Smith made up for it in the next over by smashing four sixes and a four, scoring an astonishing 32 runs off that single over.
Smith went on to play a blistering century off just 42 balls, while Babar Azam contributed a solid 47 runs from 39 deliveries.
“They’ve said no run to that.”
Steve Smith knocked a run back off the bat of Babar Azam, so he could have the strike for the Power Surge! #BBL15 pic.twitter.com/BaZET2UF2t
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 16, 2026
Thanks to their efforts, Sydney Sixers comfortably chased down Sydney Thunder’s target of 190 runs in the 18th over.
It is worth noting that this is not the first instance of on-field tension in the ongoing BBL season.
Recently, the captain of Melbourne Renegades had called back Mohammad Rizwan to the pavilion mid-innings for slow batting.
