Sydney Sixers land Pakistan icon for entire BBL|15 season as a pre-draft signing
The Sydney Sixers have once again outsmarted their rivals after unveiling one of the biggest KFC BBL recruits of recent times, Babar Azam.
The former Pakistan captain, the second highest all-time T20 International run scorer, was today revealed as the Sixers’ pre-draft overseas signing. He will be available for the entire BBL15 season, including finals.
The Sixers, who have finished top two in each of the past six BBL seasons and been champions twice, will pick sixth in the first round of next week’s international player draft.
It seems certain Babar would have been snapped up before then had he been on the table.
But general manager Rachael Haynes and coach Greg Shipperd used the other clubs’ list inflexibility against them.
Each team is permitted to bypass the draft and sign one overseas player. Six of the eight BBL sides were already tied to international players like Tim Seifert (Melbourne Renegades), Chris Jordan (Hobart Hurricanes) and Finn Allen (Perth Scorchers) who signed multi-season deals last year using that rule.
That left the Adelaide Strikers as the Sixers’ only competition, but they announced the return of Jamie Overton as their pre-draft international signing last month.
It meant the Sixers had a free run at Babar, whose playing credentials as one of T20 cricket’s leading top-order batters only form one aspect of the 30-year-old’s appeal.
Direct overseas player signings
Club
WBBL|11
BBL|15
Adelaide Strikers
Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa, contracted until WBBL|12)
Jamie Overton (England)
Brisbane Heat
Nadine de Klerk (South Africa)
Colin Munro (New Zealand)
Hobart Hurricanes
TBC
Chris Jordan (England)
Melbourne Renegades
Hayley Matthews (West Indies, contracted until WBBL|12)
Tim Seifert (New Zealand)
Melbourne Stars
Marizanne Kapp (South Africa, contracted until WBBL|12)
Tom Curran (England)
Perth Scorchers
Sophie Devine (New Zealand)
Finn Allen (New Zealand)
Sydney Sixers
Amelia Kerr (New Zealand, contracted until WBBL|12)
Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Sydney Thunder
Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka, contracted until WBBL|12)
Sam Billings (England, signed until end BBL|16)
Babar is guaranteed to put bums on seats at the SCG and around the country for away games, such is his popularity among Australia’s Pakistani diaspora.
The batter boasts close to six million Instagram followers. His new Sixers teammate, Steve Smith, is the most popular current Australian cricketer with nearly four million. The pair could this summer form a mouth-watering opening combination.
Babar’s incredible reach was illustrated by a teaser video posted last night by the Sixers, who have since gained around 35,000 new followers.
Pakistan fans, alerted to their national board publishing Babar’s availability for the BBL on Tuesday, had put two and two together and flooded the Sixers’ social media with comments of excitement at the global superstar’s signing.
“He is a world-class player and a proven leader. He’s not only a huge addition to our club, but to the league as a whole,” Haynes said of Babar.
“The Sixers strive to be a destination club on the global stage … and securing a player of Babar’s calibre only further strengthens that vision.”
Babar said: “I’m very proud to be joining the Sydney Sixers for the upcoming season.
“It’s an exciting opportunity to play in one of the world’s best T20 leagues and to be a part of such a successful and respected franchise.
“I’m looking forward to contributing to the team’s success, building a strong connection with the fans, and sharing this experience with my friends, family and supporters at home in Pakistan.”
Pakistan have a gap in the ICC’s Future Tours Programme from November to February, leaving their leading players as ideal candidates for Big Bash deals this summer.
Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan are among the top overseas players who will be available at the June 19 draft, to be screen from 4pm AEST on 7mate, 7plus, Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports.
