Babar Azam takes the aerial route, Karachi Kings vs Peshawar Zalmi, Rawalpindi, PSL, Could 17, 2025. — PCB
England wicketkeeper-batter Sam Billings has lavished reward on Pakistan’s premier batter Babar Azam, who has been signed by the Sydney Sixers for the upcoming fifteenth season of the Huge Bash League (BBL).
In a latest interview, Billings hailed Babar as a “King” acknowledging his stature in world cricket, and voiced enthusiasm in regards to the prospect of seeing the prolific right-hander function within the match.
“He is King Babar Azam, as they call him. He’s been such a world-class performer for such a long time. Any competition featuring a player like Babar Azam benefits not only the Sixers, as you said, but the tournament as a whole,” Billings mentioned.
“I’ve played a lot against him, and I’d much rather have him on my side than against me. I’m definitely looking forward to those Sydney derbies again,” he added.
The 34-year-old cricketer has been a daily function within the Pakistan Tremendous League (PSL) since 2022, representing Lahore Qalandars. He additionally praised the depth of expertise in Pakistan cricket.
“I’ve played a lot of PSL cricket. The talent they have—the talent pool—is off the charts,” he famous.
It’s pertinent to say that the Sydney Sixers formally introduced Babar’s signing on Friday, marking one of the high-profile acquisitions in BBL historical past.
The 30-year-old batter, who has scored over 10,000 worldwide runs throughout codecs, is broadly thought to be one of the constant and prolific performers in world cricket.
Beneath BBL laws, every crew is allowed to signal one worldwide participant forward of the official BBL 15 Draft, scheduled for Thursday, June 19. The Sixers capitalised on this chance to safe the companies of the Pakistan maestro.
A key determine in Pakistan’s nationwide facet for greater than a decade, Babar captained the crew in all three codecs from 2019 to 2024. Beneath his management, Pakistan reached the semi-finals of the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup and completed as runners-up within the 2022 version.
Sharing his pleasure in a video message launched by the franchise, the previous skipper expressed his enthusiasm for becoming a member of the Sixers and taking part in alongside Australian greats.
“Hey guys, super pumped to be joining the Sydney Sixers. Can’t wait to share the dressing room with my favorite batter, Steve Smith, and world-class bowler, Josh Hazlewood,” Babar mentioned.
“I’ve always loved playing in Australia, but making my BBL debut will be something special. So I’m really excited and looking forward to getting over there and meeting my crazy cricket fans,” he added.
