Tactical genius or Team friction? Mitchell Starc weighs in on Steve Smith-Babar Azam drama in BBL|15

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It was the moment that set the BBL alight—and perhaps raised the temperature in the Sydney Sixers‘ dugout. During Friday’s high-octane clash against the Sydney Thunder, Steve Smith made a controversial call to refuse a single to teammate Babar Azam, denying him the strike. While Smith immediately vindicated the decision by smashing a record-breaking 32 runs in the very next over, Babar appeared visibly frustrated, eventually losing his wicket moments later. Now, returning Sixers star Mitchell Starc has broken his silence on the incident, offering a bowler’s perspective on the “friction” between the two batting giants.

Starc, making his long-awaited return to the BBL after an 11-year hiatus, initially played down the drama with characteristic diplomacy. Despite being in the dugout, the veteran pacer admitted he missed the specific moment of the refusal live.

“I didn’t actually see it. I kind of heard something from someone else just before… so I might have to go and have a look and make an opinion from there,” Starc revealed in the post-match presser.

However, he was quick to shift the focus from personal conflict to the scorecard, noting, “Clearly he [Smith] did see a matchup he liked, and took it for 34—or 32, something like that.”

Rather than dwelling on the on-field optics, Starc defended Smith’s decision as a prime example of modern T20 evolution. He emphasized that in the Power Surge—the two overs of fielding restrictions batting teams can call for—individual matchups often trump traditional rotation of strike.

“That’s what we want in the surge. We’ve kind of seen it with teams retiring batters as well—you see a matchup that might be better or whatever it may be. So, yes, Smithy must have liked that match-up, and took him [the bowler] on,” explained Starc.

Also READ: Fans go berserk as Steve Smith’s historic century drives Sixers past Thunder in Sydney derby at BBL|15

From Starc’s view, Smith’s refusal wasn’t a snub to Babar’s ability, but a calculated tactical gamble to exploit the short boundary against Ryan Hadley—a gamble that paid off with four consecutive sixes.

Ultimately, Starc sought to quell any rumors of a rift between the team’s two superstars. He reminded fans that both Smith and Babar are seasoned veterans who understand that heat-of-the-moment decisions are part of the game.

“[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,” Starc concluded. With the Sixers securing a five-wicket win and Smith scoring a match-winning century, Starc’s message was clear: the result justifies the method, and the Sixers are focused on the next 48 hours, not the previous over.

Also READ: Steve Smith reveals the reason behind not trusting Babar Azam for ‘power surge’ during the BBL|15 game