Sydney Sixers captain Moises Henriques has revealed that the much-talked-about Big Bash League (BBL) controversy involving Babar Azam and Steve Smith did not end on the field and instead took several days to fully settle.
The incident occurred during a BBL match against the Sydney Thunder, when Pakistan star Babar Azam appeared visibly upset after Steve Smith denied him a quick single. Television cameras later showed Babar venting his frustration by slamming his bat into the boundary cushions following his dismissal, sparking widespread debate on social media.
Reports at the time suggested that Babar felt “disrespected” by Smith’s decision and expressed his displeasure to teammates in the dressing room after the match.
Henriques Calls It a ‘Cultural Misunderstanding’
Speaking about the incident, Henriques said the tension lingered beyond match day and required explanation and dialogue to resolve.
“It took a couple of days for it to settle down,” Henriques said.
“To be honest, I think it was just a bit of a misunderstanding of cultures. It’s a pretty common thing in our culture, and for him, he wasn’t used to it and didn’t quite understand.”
Henriques added that once the situation was explained clearly, Babar accepted it without any lingering resentment.
“Once it was explained to him, he was absolutely fine. They kissed and made up. I played a role post-game, and so it should be. He was quite upset with what happened on the field, so we needed to understand why he felt that way. Once we got to the bottom of it, it was okay,” he said.
Steve Smith Confirms Matter Is Resolved
Ahead of their next match, Steve Smith played down the controversy, insisting that there were no hard feelings between the two international stars.
“Nah, he’s good. We were just chatting before,” Smith said.
“I thought he batted really well the other night and we had a good partnership. We were talking about our golf. He’s looking forward to tonight—it’s a nice wicket, so I hope we can get off to a good start again.”
A Reminder of Cultural Differences in Global T20 Leagues
The episode has highlighted how cultural differences and expectations can sometimes lead to misunderstandings in global T20 leagues like the BBL, where players from diverse cricketing backgrounds share dressing rooms.
With the issue now firmly behind them, both Babar Azam and Steve Smith appear focused on performances rather than past disagreements.