Babar Azam joins Sydney Sixers for his first BBL contract

For the upcoming BBL season, the Sydney Sixers have signed Pakistan's star batter Babar Azam as a pre-draft signing. Babar was selected as their international recruit in advance of the overseas draft, which is scheduled for June 19, and he will join Steven Smith in the Sixers' lineup. As per the league rules, each BBL side can sign one international recruit before the draft. Until now, Sixers were the only side who had not brought on board a pre-signed overseas player. The Sixers now have Sean Abbott, Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques, Todd Murphy, Mitch Perry, Josh Philippe, and Jordan Silk in addition to Babar and Smith. Babar stated in a Sixers press release, "It's an exciting opportunity to play in one of the world's best T20 leagues and to be a part of such a successful and respected franchise." "I'm looking forward to contributing to the success of the team, developing a strong bond with the fans, and sharing this experience with my Pakistani friends, family, and supporters," I said. Among Pakistani names, Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Rizwan are also set to feature in the next BBL, although they all will be part of the overseas draft next week. Babar has a wealth of T20 experience to his name, having played 320 matches so far, most recently in the PSL where he led Peshawar Zalmi. Babar was Zalmi's leading scorer, scoring 288 runs in 10 innings while striking out 128.57, even though his team finished second from bottom. However, after Babar was dropped from Pakistan's national T20 team earlier this year, he has lost favor. He has participated in a number of Twenty20 leagues around the world, including the Vitality Blast in England and the CPL, BPL, and LPL. Rachael Haynes, the Sixers' general manager, stated, "Babar's resume speaks for itself." "Our playing group greatly values his skill, professionalism, and experience, and the news is obviously extremely exciting for our fans. "He is a world-class player and an established leader. He's not only a huge addition to our club, but to the league as a whole. By signing a player of Babar's caliber and playing at the iconic SCG, the Sixers aim to be a destination club on a global scale, and securing a player of Babar's caliber only strengthens that vision."