The issue between Babar Azam and Steve Smith did not end on the spot, and in fact, went on for a good couple of days, Sydney Sixers captain Moises Henriques revealed during the Big Bash League qualifier against Perth Scorchers. Tempers flared during the Sixers’ match against the Sydney Thunder when Babar was refused a single by Smith, leading to animosity between the two. Driven by emotions, Babar was eventually out for 47, after which the Pakistan batter expressed his displeasure by smacking the boundary cushion on his way back to the change room.

Tensions between Babar Azam and Steve Smith were high (AFP)Tensions between Babar Azam and Steve Smith were high (AFP)

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A couple of days later, Smith revealed that all was fine between the two as visuals of the two talking about golf emerged. However, as it turns out, the matter refused to die down quickly, with a report claiming that Babar created a ruckus in the dressing room and felt he was disrespected, despite the decision going in favour of the Sixers. After Babar threw his wicket away in a fit of rage, Smith smashed a 100, including four sixes in an over, after ensuring he kept strike in the Power Surge once he turned down the single.

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Henriques, while speaking to Fox Cricket, explained just exactly what had transpired.

“It took a couple of days for it to settle down. 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. Didn’t quite understand. 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 try and understand why he felt that way. So once we got to the bottom of it, it was ok,” he said.

Before Henriques, Smith too said it was a closed chapter. “He’s good, we chatted before. I thought he batted really nicely the other night, we had a good partnership and put on a few,” he said.

Having said that, Babar continues to go through troubled times in the BBL, managing just 202 runs from 11 matches, including a score of 2 in the Qualifier.