Babar Azam’s poor BBL form continued with a two-ball duck in the Sydney Sixers’ qualifier. Fans slammed his low strike rate and inconsistency, calling him a ‘fraud in T20s,’ raising doubts over his place in Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad.
Pakistan batter Babar Azam’s horrible run of form continues as he was dismissed for a two-ball duck in the Sydney Sixers’ Big Bash League (BBL) 2025/26 Qualifier against the five-time champions, Perth Scorchers, at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Tuesday, January 20.
The Sixers failed to secure a direct spot in the final with a 48-run defeat to the Scorchers, who seaked direct berth in the BBL 2025/26 title clash. With a 148-run target, Sydney were bundled out for a mere 99, as the middle and lower-order were completely dismantled by Perth’s disciplined bowling attack, offering a little resistance in a one-sided qualifier.
Steve Smith was the top scorer for Sydney Sixers with 37 off 24 balls, including two sixes and as many boundaries, at a strike rate of 154.17, while the second-best score was 15 by Lachlan Shaw, highlighting the Sixers’ collective batting collapse in the high-stakes qualifier.
Babar Azam’s Poor Form Under Scrutiny
As the Sydney Sixers lost to Perth Scorchers in the Qualifiers at Optus Stadium, the major talking point from the match was Babar Azam’s continued struggles with the bat, as the Pakistan batter registered a silver duck and once again failed to justify his place at the top order. Azam’s form has been under the spotlight throughout his debut Big Bash League (BBL) season.
The 31-year-old, who was signed by the Sixers’ franchise for AUD $420,000 (which is roughly INR 2.3 crore or PKR 7.9 crore), has endured a disappointing BBL 2025/26 campaign, managing only sporadic contributions and failing to deliver consistent performances in crucial matches, putting pressure on the team management amid intense scrutiny over his form.
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In 11 matches played so far in his debut BBL season, the former Pakistan captain went past the 40-run mark only thrice as a top-order batter, highlighting his struggle to anchor the innings and justify his hefty price tag. Babar Azam scored two fifties, but both are the slowest in the history of the tournament, highlighting his struggle to keep up with the pace of T20 cricket.
In his debut BBL season, Babar Azam has scored just 202 runs, including two fifties, at an average of 22.44 and a strike rate of 103.06 in 11 matches. The Pakistani batter’s strike rate does not reflect the standards of fast-paced T20 cricket, raising doubts over his impact in Australia’s premier T20 tournament.
‘A Very Big Fraud in T20s’
Following Babar Azam’s silver duck in the qualifier, which added further to his poor run of form in his debut BBL season, fans and cricket enthusiasts slammed the Pakistani batter for failing to perform in crucial matches, especially in the Qualifier, where the Sydney Sixers were looking to earn a direct qualification to the final.
Taking to their X handles (formerly Twitter), fans and cricket enthusiasts brutally trolled Babar Azam for his repeated failures in the Big Bash League, ridiculing his slow scoring, calling him a “fraud in T20s,” and questioning why the Sixers continued to persist with him in the top order.
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The Sydney Sixers will look to qualify for the final when they take on the winner of the Knockout between Hobart Hurricanes and Melbourne Stars in the Challenger. Babar Azam is expected to play at the top order despite a poor run of form, with the team hoping he can finally turn his BBL campaign around.
Babar Azam’s poor form in his debut BBL season is a major concern for Pakistan as they are set to select their 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup 2026, which will begin on February 7, raising questions about his spot in the top order for the marquee tournament.