New Delhi: Sydney Sixers produced a dominant performance in the Moore Park derby against Sydney Thunder, winning by five wickets. In this victory, Steve Smith’s excellent century provided a strong base to the Sixers, in which he formed an important partnership with Babar Azam.

However, the highlight of the match was the altercation between the two leading batsmen, which managed to grab the attention of the spectators before the powerplay. Smith asked Babar not to take a single, on which Azam looked a little angry.

Clash between Smith and Babar Azam

During the 11th over of the match, Babar Azam was playing on 47 runs on 36 balls. He hinted at taking a run, but Smith immediately rejected it. At that time Smith had scored 52 runs on 28 balls and he wanted to take his innings further. Due to this, he played the most expensive over in the history of BBL by hitting four consecutive sixes against Ryan Hadlee. During this, Babar’s disappointment was clear and there was a little argument between the two at the end of the over. One commentator, while supporting Smith’s decision, took a dig at Babar’s playing style.

Australian player’s comment increased the sting

Following this development, Thunder spinner Chris Green commented on Babar Azam’s style of play on-air, saying that he wants Babar to face more balls. He told that Babar usually likes to play slow and then tries to play fast. In such a situation, his strategy would be to keep Babar under pressure.

Babar Azam’s performance in BBL

Babar’s performance this season has been mixed. He has scored two half-centuries, but has scored only 201 runs in 9 innings at a strike rate of 107.8. This shows that there is still a lack of aggression in his game.