Babar Azam's time with the Sydney Sixers has come to an end as Pakistan has recalled him to commence preparations for their upcoming white-ball series. The 31-year-old's last two knocks of 0 and 1 were hugely disappointing in crunch games for the Sixers.
What happened?
Mark Waugh suggested the Sixers need to make the brave call and drop Babar Azam ahead of their must-win BBL finals match. Waugh believed a shake-up at the top of the order was necessary for Sydney, with Babar his top candidate to get the axe.
Babar has been largely underwhelming at the top of the order for the Sydneysiders, averaging just 22.44 from his 11 innings at a modest strike rate of 103.06. He has notched two half centuries but only has 19 fours and three sixes from the 196 balls he's faced.
Why it matters for Babar Azam
The recent drama around the $420,000 Sixers recruit is a sign that Australians no longer "trust the professional abilities" of cricketers from Pakistan, according to former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif. Latif understands the reasoning behind Mark Waugh's call to drop Azam.
What comes next?
The Sixers are set to play Hobart on Friday night at the SCG for a spot in the tournament decider against the Scorchers in Perth and they will be doing it with a new partner alongside Steve Smith at the top of the order. Waugh felt the Sixers needed to make a change, saying "I think they need to re-jig their batting because they're almost entirely reliant on Steve Smith."
And former Pakistan captain Latif suggested there was a lack of trust in Pakistani players from within Australian cricket, following the calls to drop Babar. The Pakistan great's troubled time in the BBL also included a clash with Smith after the Australian super-bat turned down a single so he could retain the strike for the Power Surge after his teammate had struggled to find the boundary.
The Sixers captain Moises Henriques later put that down to a "misunderstanding of culture" and insisted the pair had "kissed and made up". Waugh's call to drop Azam has angered the Pakistani's loyal fan base but Latif understands the reasoning behind it.
Babar Azam's departure from the Sydney Sixers has sparked a debate about the standard of Pakistan cricket and its top players. The Pakistan team is currently ranked 7th in T20, whereas there was a time when they were ranked 1st and played against the top cricketing nations.
The Sixers will look to move on from Babar Azam's underwhelming performance and focus on their upcoming match against Hobart. With a new partner alongside Steve Smith at the top of the order, they will look to secure a spot in the tournament decider against the Scorchers in Perth.