In a high-tension Big Bash League (BBL) clash at the SCG on Friday, January 16, 2026, a tactical masterclass by Steve Smith led to a historic victory for the Sydney Sixers but sparked a visible rift with his opening partner, Babar Azam.
Despite sharing a massive 141-run partnership, the game was defined by a moment of friction in the 11th over when Smith denied the former Pakistan captain a single to retain the strike. The decision proved to be a turning point, as Smith justified his gamble by smashing the most expensive over in BBL history immediately after the disagreement. What began as a strategic masterclass by Smith quickly spiraled into a visible fallout that saw Babar fuming both on and off the field.
Steve Smith reveals the reason behind refusing to give Babar Azam the strike
The friction erupted in the 11th over when Babar, struggling after three dot balls, attempted to rotate the strike. Smith firmly turned down the single, ignoring the coach’s orders to take the Power Surge early. Smith’s refusal was a high-stakes bet on his own ability to dominate the short boundary, essentially sidelining the former Pakistan captain. Though Smith justified the move by smashing four consecutive sixes and scoring 32 runs in the most expensive over in BBL history, the snub left Babar visibly fuming mid-pitch as he felt his skills were being undermined by his partner.
“We spoke at the ten-over mark, and they [the captain and coach] said take the surge straightaway. I was like, ‘Nah, give it one over. I want to hit to the short boundary. I don’t want to screw up the first over. I’ll try to get 30 off that over’. [I] think we got 32, so it was a good result. Not sure Babar was too happy with me knocking back that single.” Smith said to Channel 7.
Babar’s angry exit after the dismissal and post-match absence
The frustration finally boiled over during Babar Azam’s dismissal, which many experts believe was a direct result of being frozen out of the strike by Smith. After being denied a single in the 11th over and forced to watch Smith dominate the Power Surge from the non-striker’s end, Babar lost his rhythm and focus.
In the 13th over, facing his first ball since the strategic snub, the Pakistan star attempted a tired-looking shot against Nathan McAndrew but only succeeded in chopping the ball back onto his stumps for 47. His reaction was instantaneous and explosive; as he turned to walk back to the dugout, Babar’s composure shattered. He was seen striking a boundary cushion with his bat in a fit of rage and continued fuming as he disappeared into the tunnel, skipping the traditional post-match handshakes and celebrations entirely.
Fielding miscommunication between Smith and Babar at the SCG
The tension first became visible during the fielding innings, long before the pair even picked up their bats. In a sequence that left the commentary box in splits, a ball was hit into the gap between Smith and Babar; the Pakistan star remained stationary and failed to dive, leaving a shocked Smith to watch the ball race away.
On the very next delivery, the ball was struck to the exact same spot, but this time Smith launched into a desperate dive to stop the boundary. As Smith scrambled to his feet to pick up the ball and throw, Babar was standing directly in his line of sight, leading a mocking commentator to shout, “Get out of the way, Babar!” The moment perfectly captured the disconnect between the two, as they seemed to be operating on entirely different wavelengths.
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