In a crucial BBL match, Steve Smith scored a sensational century but angered Babar Azam by denying him a single to retain strike for the Power Surge, sparking outrage as fans flooded Smith’s social media with protest messages.
Steve Smith and Babar Azam were involved in a heated moment during the Sydney Sixers’ BBL 2025/26 clash against Sydney Thunder at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday, January 16. The Sixerssealed a crucial seven-wicket win over the Thunder, keeping their hopes for knockout qualification in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) season.
With a 190-run target set by the Sydney Thunder, the Sydney Thunder chased down the target with 15 balls to spare, or in just 17.2 overs. Veteran Australian batter Steve Smith unleashed his carnage on the opposition bowlers and played a sensational knock of 100 off 42 balls, including 9 sixes and 5 fours, at an astonishing strike rate of f 238.10 to lay a foundation for the Sixers’ thrilling victory. Apart from Smith, Babar Azam too contributed to the Sixers’ run chase with an innings of 47 off 39 balls.
The Sixers’ victory over the Thunder was their fifth win in nine outings of the ongoing BBL and moved them to fourth spot on the points table with 11 points.
Babar Azam’s Strike-Denial Incident
As the Sydney Sixers clinched a crucial victory over the Sydney Thunder, one of the major talking points from the match was Steve Smith denying a strike to Babar Azam. Azam was struggling to get going and playing more as a second fiddle to Smith, who not only anchored the innings but also shouldered the responsibility of accelerating the scoring and finishing the match.
Smith’s refusal to give a strike to Babar Azam ahead of the Power Surge stems from a tactical decision to retain the strike himself. The incident took place in the 11th over when a Pakistani batter conceded three dot balls on the trot, resulting in the former Australian captain turning down a routine single off the last ball of the over so he could face the first over of the Power Surge and target the shorter boundary.
The decision by Steve Smith visibly frustrated Babar Azam, who was seen shaking his head and unhappy at being denied a single by the Australian batter.
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The tactical decision by Steve Smith saw him smash 32 runs in the first over of the Power Surge, including four sixes on the trot and a four off Ryan Hadley’s bowling, and increased Sydney Sixers’ scoring rate, bringing down the equation to 49 off 48 balls to win the match. Babar Azam was quite disappointed over not getting a strike in the Power Surge as he hit his bat on the boundary after being dismissed in the very next over of the Power Surge.
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Smith and Babar formed an opening 141-run partnership. The veteran Australian batter scored 88 runs, making up about 62% of the opening stand, while Babar Azam contributed 47, highlighting Smith’s dominance and the limited strike Pakistani batter faced during the innings.
Angry Babar Azam Fans Steve Smith Instagram
Steve Smith’s strike denial to Babar Azam not only disappointed the Pakistani batter but also his fans, who were angry and frustrated over Smith seemingly prioritizing his own power-hitting opportunity while denying a chance to Babar to capitalise during the crucial Power Surge.
Babar Azam fans went to the veteran Australian batter’s Instagram account and began spamming the comments section on every post, with messages like “King Babar hits one cover drive better than your entire career,” “King Babar Azam,” “Smith needs to respect world-class players,” “King Babar Azam, it’s your father,” and others.
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Babar Azam fans spamming Steve Smith’s Instagram comments section were trolled in response, with many mocking their over-the-top reactions regarding the strike denial to the Pakistani batter ahead of the Power Surge.
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Babar Azam is not having an ideal debut BBL season as he has come under heavy scrutiny due to his slow knock and below-par strike rate. In nine matches, Babar has aggregated 201 runs, including two fifties, at an average of 28.71 and a strike rate of 107.48. Former Pakistan batter holds an unwanted record for scoring the slowest fifty in the history of the BBL.