Babar Azam's stint with Sydney Sixers has come to an early end after Pakistan recalled the star batter for their upcoming international fixtures.

 

The former Pakistan captain will miss the remainder of the Big Bash League (BBL). 

 

Sydney Sixers confirmed the news on social media, writing: "Thank you, Babar. Babar Azam has been recalled to join Pakistan's national camp ahead of upcoming international fixtures. He will be unavailable for the remainder of the BBL|15 Finals Series."

 

Babar expressed gratitude to the franchise in his farewell message. 

 

"First of all, thank you so much to Sydney Sixers for having me, and to all the boys and coaches. I really enjoyed my time here, and unfortunately I have to leave the team because of national duty," he said. 

 

"I am taking back a lot of valuable experiences. I especially want to thank the Sydney Sixers fans who have always supported me. The encouragement and the atmosphere at the Sydney Cricket Ground were incredible. I really enjoyed that vibe."

 

Babar's BBL campaign was marred by a brief controversy involving Steve Smith during a match against Sydney Thunder. Smith refused a single to Babar in the 10th over, keeping strike for the following over where he smashed four consecutive sixes.

 

Babar got dismissed on the first ball after returning to strike and showed visible frustration by hitting the boundary rope with his bat.

 

Smith later confirmed the matter was resolved. "We have spoken to each other. Babar batted well that night. We talked about golf, as you would have seen on screen," Smith said.

 

Sixers captain Moises Henriques described the incident as a cultural misunderstanding. 

 

Babar joined Sydney Sixers for the ongoing season and scored 202 runs in 11 matches, including two fifties. He maintained a strike rate of 103.06 and averaged 22.44 during his stint with the franchise.

 

Pakistan will host Australia for a three-match T20 series in Lahore ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. The series kicks off on January 29, followed by matches on January 31 and February 1.

 

While Pakistan has not announced the official squad yet, Babar will most likely feature in the team. Reports suggest he also forms part of the primary squad Pakistan submitted to the ICC for the T20 World Cup.