Steve Smith Reveals 'Chat' With Babar Azam Amid Reports Of Dressing Room Tension

Australia cricket team star batter Steve Smith has opened up about his relationship with Pakistan star Babar Azam following their recent Big Bash League controversy. Media reports claimed that Babar felt "disrespected" by his Sydney Sixers teammate after being denied a single during their match against the Sydney Thunder. The reports further stated that the tension did not end on the pitch, with Babar reportedly left fuming even after returning to the dressing room. Ahead of the Sixers' match against the Brisbane Heat on Sunday, Smith was asked by presenter Isa Guha, "Have you and Babar made up?"

Smith was quick to dismiss the speculation, noting that they were discussing golf before the game. "Nah, he's good. We were just chatting before. I thought he batted really well the other night and we had a good partnership. We were talking about our golf there. He's looking forward to tonight; it's a nice wicket, so I hope we can get off to a good start again," Smith said.

What was the controversy?

Babar, who was batting in the 40s during the game against the Thunder, wanted a single off the final ball of the 11th over. However, Steve Smith rejected the call, leaving Babar visibly upset.

The Sixers took the Power Surge-a two-over powerplay-from the 12th over, and Smith went on to slam 32 runs in it, the most in BBL history. On the other hand, Babar was dismissed on the very first ball of the 13th over; he even hit the boundary cushions with his bat to express his frustration.

Following the game, there has been significant debate regarding the incident. Former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal stated that he believes Smith "disrespected" Babar.

"This shouldn't have happened. I understand Smith hit a fast hundred, but he could have told Babar before the ball, 'Don't take a single.' Not like this. This is disrespect," Akmal said on YouTube. "If the Sydney Sixers aren't happy with Babar, drop him. Don't disrespect him like this. Make him sit out instead... but don't do this," he added.

Topics mentioned in this article

Babar Azam Steve Smith Sydney Thunder Cricket