The 31-year-old batter will miss the Challenger final for Sydney Sixers as he departs Australia to join the national team camp.
Sydney Sixers confirmed that Babar will not feature in Friday’s Challenger final against Hobart Hurricanes, the team that includes Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain.
In a statement, the franchise said they were informed on Thursday that the superstar opener needed to return to Pakistan to link up with his national teammates.
Pakistan are set to play a three-match T20 series at home ahead of the T20 World Cup, with the first match against Australia scheduled for January 29. Notably, nine players from Australia’s T20 squad are still participating in the Big Bash League, including former Sixers teammates of Babar, Jack Edwards and Ben Dwarshuis.
Babar’s form in this year’s Big Bash has been underwhelming. In 11 innings, he was dismissed for single-digit scores six times and managed only two half-centuries. He finished the tournament with 202 runs at a strike rate of 103.06.
The Pakistani batter also made headlines recently following an on-field disagreement with teammate Steve Smith.
During a match against Sydney Thunder last Friday, Babar struggled to score in the 11th over and played several dot balls. When he called for a single off the final delivery of the over, Smith declined, showing visible frustration. Babar was dismissed on the very next ball and, in disappointment, struck the boundary rope with his bat.
