Babar Azam consoles Steve Smith after a dropped catch (Image: X)
In a recent Big Bash League (BBL) clash, Pakistan’s Babar Azam showed a very classy side by consoling Australia’s Steve Smith after he dropped a tough catch. The action seemed to have put rest to the rumours that the two had fallen out amid earlier controversy. The moment came during the Sydney Sixers’ match against the Brisbane Heat at The Gabba, and it quickly caught the attention of fans and commentators alike.
Earlier in the week, there had been talk of a falling out between the two star batters after an incident in a game against the Sydney Thunder. On that occasion, Smith had denied Babar a single late in the innings. It was a tactical decision that Smith later explained was about maximizing the Power Surge opportunity. Babar looked visibly frustrated, and some reports said he felt “disrespected” by Smith’s decision, even suggesting tension in the dressing room afterwards.
Smith himself later addressed the media about those rumours and played them down. When he was asked about it directly, he joked about the situation and said, “Nah, he’s good. We were just chatting before, we were talking about our golf there. He’s looking forward to tonight and it’s a nice wicket.” Smith made it clear that there was no bad blood between them.
In the Queensland match, a difficult catch came up in the fifth over of the Heat’s innings where batter Nathan McSweeney hit it hard to backward point, and Smith was fielding there. He got to it but couldn’t hold on. After the over ended, Babar ran over to Smith, patted him on the back and offered support rather than letting any past tension linger.
This season has seen some BBL drama involving Babar and Smith. The initial controversy stemmed from Smith’s tactical move in the earlier match where he turned down the single for Babar late in the innings so he could take the Power Surge strike. Smith smashed four sixes in that over. That sequence sparked talk of tension, with some ex-cricketers like Kamran Akmal saying Smith “disrespected” Babar.
Seven soldiers Injured In A Gunfight In Jammu And Kashmir’s Kishtwar; 3 Jaish Terrorists ‘Holed Up’
Seven soldiers injured in Kishtwar gunfight; three Jaish terrorists ‘holed up’ in forest area.
Virat Kohli struck yet another hundred against New Zealand in Indore.
An explosion at a steel plate factory in Inner Mongolia killed two people, left five…
