NEW DELHI: Babar Azam finally struck a half-century in the Big Bash League, marking his second fifty of the tournament. While not a dominating innings, it gave him some confidence ahead of upcoming matches.
Playing for Sydney Sixers, Babar faced a testing chase and scored 58 runs off 46 balls at a strike rate of 126, providing stability in the middle-order while others stepped up to finish the game.
Also READ: Babar Azam finds his rhythm: BBL fifty sparks Sixers’ revival
Former Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist did not hold back in his assessment, slamming Babar’s approach in T20s and suggesting that the Pakistani star needs to be more proactive in his batting.
Adam Gilchrist also called out Babar Azam slow batting in T20s during today's match.
• His limited power range restricts his boundary options.
• He must be proactive himself, not outsource the SR.
• His run-a-ball approach unfairly pressures his partner to take risks. pic.twitter.com/ahfYJNgSyO
“Babar is not known to have a power-packed game. He is not going to hoick across the line and slog one over the boundary for a six. He needs to be proactive. He can't just think run a ball and put all the responsibility on his batting partner to get the job done,” Gilchrist said during commentary.
Daniel Hughes got the Sixers off to a steady start with 30 runs, but Joel Davies was the main finisher, scoring 34 runs in just 15 balls at a strike rate of 226 to guide Sydney Sixers past the 165-run target comfortably.
Over the years, he has been under constant scrutiny for his slow strike rate in T20s, and even this innings will probably spark debates about whether he is too “safe” for the modern game.
