Mitchell Marsh hails Babar Azam as ‘world-class player’ despite BBL struggles

LAHORE: Australia’s T20I captain Mitchell Marsh on Wednesday heaped praise on Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam despite his underwhelming maiden Big Bash League (BBL) stint for Sydney Sixers, hailing him as a respected figure and a world-class player.

Babar, who was roped in as a direct signing by the Sixers, experienced a rough patch at the eight-team tournament, managing just 202 runs in 11 innings at a modest average of 22.44 and a dismal strike rate of 103.06.

Although Babar was initially available for the entire tournament, he was later called back by Pakistan to prepare for the upcoming three-match home series against Australia, scheduled to be played here at the Gaddafi Stadium from January 29 to February 1.

Babar’s maiden stint was also marred by controversy, stirred due to a denied single by Australia counterpart Steve Smith during the Sixers’ league-stage fixture against city-rival Sydney Thunder.

The denied single did not sit well with Babar, who reportedly later isolated himself in the dressing room and told teammates he felt “disrespected” by Smith’s refusal to rotate the strike, and the misunderstanding between the two star batters took at least two days to settle.

Meanwhile, Marsh, who is set to lead Australia in the upcoming series against Pakistan, which is crucial in their preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, urged having great respect for the 31-year-old batter and termed him a “challenge”, especially in the sub-continent conditions.

“It was great to see some Pakistan players playing the Big Bash; it brought a whole new audience, and I’m hopeful that they enjoyed their time in Australia,” Marsh stated.

“Look, as you said, Babar’s been a world-class player for a long period of time for Pakistan, so we have great respect for him, and we know that in these conditions he’s one of the best players in the world still so we look forward to that challenge,” he added.