Starc positive that Babar, Smith would be fine heading into the next game

The Sydney Sixers were the better team in the Sydney Smash on Friday, which gave them the boost they needed before playing a high-stakes game against the Brisbane Heat on Sunday. However, things were marred a bit by a tense moment between their top batters, Babar Azam and Steve Smith. 

It occurred at the end of the eleventh over when Smith turned down Babar’s call for a single in a bid to accelerate the run flow in the power surge. When Babar eventually came back on strike in the thirteenth over, he chopped on and was dismissed for 47 off 39 balls. The Pakistan batter was seen furiously leaving the ground, striking the boundary cushion on his way out. 

Starc: Smith must have liked the match-up

Talking about the incident, Mitchell Starc, who was playing his first BBL game since the 2014-15 edition, said the power surge is all about going for the tactics and matchups that are likely to pay off, which, in Smith’s case, did.

"I didn't actually see it," he said. "I kind of heard something from someone else just before, but I haven't seen it. So [I] might have to go and have a look, and make an opinion from there. I mean, it's part of T20 cricket if you see a match-up you like [that]. Clearly, he [Smith] did, and took it for 34 [32] or something like that.

"That's what we want in the surge. We've kind of seen it with teams retiring batters as well - you see a match-up that might be better or whatever it may be. So, yes, Smithy must have liked that match-up and took him on."

141-run opening stand

Babar and Smith scored a 141-run opening partnership while chasing 190 runs. Smith’s 32-run over in the power surge helped him reach his century in just 42 balls, though he was dismissed shortly after that. Starc believes both batters will be ready to put on another fiery show in their next and final game against Brisbane Heat on Sunday, which will be a virtual knockout. 

"[They are] two guys that have played a lot of international cricket, two guys that love performing, and that was one of our best partnerships up the top," he said. "Hopefully, that continues over the next 48 hours on a wicket that seems to be pretty good for batting."

The Sixers are currently at the fourth spot with eleven points and a Net run rate worse only than the table toppers Hobart Hurricanes. If they win their match against Heat, they will break into the top two. 

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