Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam experienced a difficult start to his Big Bash League (BBL) career, scoring two runs off five balls in his debut match for the Sydney Sixers against the Perth Scorchers at Optus Stadium on Sunday.
Opening the innings, Babar lost his partner, Daniel Hughes, on the second ball of the match when Cooper Connolly struck early for the home side.
Babar faced his first delivery at the end of the opening over and defended cautiously. However, he struggled to find rhythm in the following over against Joel Paris, who kept the ball on a testing length.
The right-hander survived an early scare when a mistimed short-arm jab caused the ball to hang briefly in the air before landing safely between fielders at mid-on and mid-wicket.
The 31-year-old finally opened his BBL account on the fourth ball he faced, guiding a length delivery through the off side for two runs between extra cover and sweeper cover.
Babar Azam dismissed for just 2 on his BBL debut 😶pic.twitter.com/0hFQx7vjpn
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) December 14, 2025His stay, however, ended soon after. Brody Couch delivered a hard-length ball that climbed sharply, forcing Babar into a mistimed shot. Laurie Evans, positioned at mid-on, completed a routine catch to dismiss the former Pakistan captain.
Despite the modest debut, Babar remains one of the most accomplished batters in modern cricket. The Sixers secured him as a direct overseas signing for the 15th edition of the BBL, banking on both his experience and global appeal.
Read: Sydney Sixers Reveal Babar Azam’s Unique 056 Jersey for BBL 15
To mark his arrival, the franchise launched a dedicated fan zone named “Babaristan” in October and assigned him a special three-digit jersey number, 056, highlighting his marquee status.
While his opening outing did not go as planned, expectations remain high that Babar Azam will make a strong impact as the tournament progresses.
