England batter Sam Billings has expressed his excitement for Babar Azam’s Big Bash League (BBL) debut with the Sydney Sixers.
The former Pakistan batter was signed by the Sydney Sixers as a pre-draft pick for the season ahead of the overseas draft, scheduled for June 19.
In a video message shared by the franchise, Babar Azam expressed his excitement about his BBL debut with the team.
“I’m super pumped to be joining the Sydney Sixers. I can’t wait to share the dressing room with my favorite batter Steve Smith and world-class bowler Josh Hazlewood. I’ve always loved playing in Australia, but making my BBL debut will be something special,” he said.
Reacting to his signing, England wicket-keeping batter Sam Billings showered high praise on Babar Azam, referring to him as ‘King.’
“He is King Babar Azam, as they call him. He’s been such a world-class performer for such a long time. Any competition featuring a player like Babar Azam benefits not only the Sixers, as you said, but the tournament as a whole,” Billings said in a video posted to BBL’s Instagram account.
He added, “I’ve played a lot against him, and I’d much rather have him on my side than against me. I’m definitely looking forward to those Sydney derbies again.”
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Recalling his time playing in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Sam Billings lauded the immense talent in Pakistan cricket.
“I’ve played a lot of PSL cricket. The talent they have—the talent pool—is off the charts,” he said.
It is worth noting here that the BBL regulations allow each team to sign one international player before the official BBL 15 Draft.
Besides Babar Azam, several other Pakistani players, including Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Rizwan, are also expected to feature in the next BBL season.
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