Cricket
Pakistan star Babar Azam has grabbed headlines in BBL 2026, but for a reason he wouldn’t like
Making his Big Bash League debut, Babar opened the batting for Sydney Sixers but struggled to match the fast pace of the tournament
Against Melbourne Renegades at the MCG, Babar reached his half-century in 44 balls, the slowest fifty ever recorded in BBL history
The previous record belonged to Cameron Bancroft, who took 41 balls for a fifty. Babar went past it to set a new unwanted mark
What’s worrying for the Sixers is that both of Babar’s half-centuries this season came in 40+ balls, raising questions about his strike rate as an opener
While Babar has scored runs, his slow starts have put pressure on teammates, turning his batting tempo into a growing concern for Sydney Sixers