Bangladesh cricket in turmoil: What does this mean for T20 World Cup?
Smith justified his decision with a record-breaking display in power surge, smashing Ryan Hadley for four consecutive sixes in the first over – the most expensive over in BBL history. He eventually took a single off the last ball and delivered a strike to Babar against Nathan McAndrew in the 13th over, but Babar was dismissed first ball and left the field visibly frustrated. Reflecting on the strategy, Smith told Channel 7: “We were talking at the ten-over mark and they (captain and coach) said take the wave straight away. I was like, ‘No, give it another go.’ I want to hit a short boundary. I don’t want to mess up the first crossing. I’ll try to get 30 from that over 32, it was a good result for sure.” to knock that single.” Babar was not seen on the field after the match, although it was unclear if he appeared later. Mitchell Starc, making his first BBL appearance in 11 years, said he did not notice the episode but explained that like bowlers, batsmen often have a preference for particular matches in T20 cricket. Despite the brief tension, the tactical move worked perfectly for the Sixers as Smith went on to score 41 balls to lead his team to victory.