Former Australian captain hails Babar Azam after Sydney Sixers signing for BBL 15

Former Australia captain Aaron Finch has praised Pakistan star Babar Azam following his signing with the Sydney Sixers for the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) season 15.

In a recent interview, Finch called Babar the biggest name among Pakistani players and said his presence will add great value to the tournament.

“There’s no bigger name than Babar Azam among Pakistani players in the BBL draft,” Finch said. 

“He is currently the best player in world cricket and arguably the greatest of this decade. He has delivered match-winning performances around the globe, and it’s great for Australian fans to witness a superstar like him play in the BBL,” he added. 

Finch also praised Pakistan’s pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi, who is also part of the BBL draft. 

“Shaheen Shah Afridi is a match-winner and a top performer. Every team would love to have him. I’m excited to see these top players take part in the Big Bash,” he further added.

The Sydney Sixers officially announced Babar’s signing on Friday, making him one of the most high-profile acquisitions in BBL history. Under league rules, each BBL franchise is allowed to pre-sign one international player ahead of the official BBL 15 Draft, which is scheduled for Thursday, June 19.

The Sixers used their pre-signing option to bring in Babar, who has been a key figure in Pakistan’s national team for over a decade. He led Pakistan in all three formats from 2019 to 2024, taking the team to the semi-finals of the 2021 T20 World Cup and the final of the 2022 edition.

This will be Babar’s first appearance in the BBL. According to sources, he was selected in the Platinum category and signed through a pre-draft deal worth close to PKR 10 crore, exceeding the base price of approximately PKR 7.75 crore. This makes him one of the highest-paid players in BBL history.