Babar Azam’s dismissal became a major talking point during the Big Bash League first qualifier between Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers.
The incident occurred in Perth when Sydney Sixers were chasing a target of 148 runs. Babar Azam was dismissed on just the second ball of the innings after being stumped by wicketkeeper off Cooper Connolly’s delivery.
A video of the dismissal quickly went viral on social media. The footage showed a very close call between the wicketkeeper breaking the stumps and Babar Azam attempting to get his foot inside the crease. After reviewing the footage carefully, the third umpire ruled Babar Azam out.
The decision divided fans on social media. Some users believed the batter was out, while others argued that his foot was inside the crease and the decision should have gone in his favor.
Sydney Sixers failed to recover from the early setback and were bowled out for 99 runs, losing the match by 48 runs while chasing 148.
It is worth noting that in the previous match, Steve Smith had refused a single offered by Babar Azam, which appeared to frustrate the Pakistani batter. Babar was dismissed shortly after coming on strike in that game as well.
In that earlier match, Babar Azam had scored just one run off seven balls before returning to the pavilion.
