Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam recently expressed his preference for the Big Bash League (BBL) over the Indian Premier League (IPL) in an interview with Peshawar Zalmi. When asked to choose between the two leagues, Babar responded with “BBL,” citing the faster conditions and more support for batters as reasons. He also noted that the IPL offers similar Asian conditions, making the BBL more interesting to him.
While the IPL is widely recognized as the top franchise league in the world, Australia’s BBL is also considered one of the top leagues. However, Pakistani players have not been allowed to participate in the IPL since its second edition, and they were only featured in the inaugural season of the cash-rich league. Sohail Tanvir, a former Pakistani pacer, even bagged the most wickets in the first season while representing Rajasthan Royals. In contrast, players like Haris Raf, Mohammad Hasnain, and Shadab Khan have recently proven their mettle in the BBL, despite Babar not yet playing in the league himself.
Babar also emphasized the healthy rivalry between players before a league as a positive aspect that creates hype. He dismissed any gossip related to statements made by Karachi Kings’ players before PSL 8, stating that it is the beauty of any competition to have a healthy rivalry.
It is worth noting that Babar was the biggest trade that happened before PSL 8. Karachi Kings traded Babar with Shoaib Malik from Zalmi, creating much hype on social media. Under Babar’s leadership, Zalmi reached the playoffs of PSL 8, and they are the only team to qualify for the playoffs in every season so far.
Babar Azam’s preference for BBL over IPL is understandable given the faster conditions and more support for batters. While the IPL is widely recognized as the top franchise league in the world, Pakistani players have not been allowed to participate in it since its second edition. Babar also highlighted the importance of healthy rivalries between players before a league, which is a positive aspect of any competition. With his leadership, Zalmi has consistently reached the playoffs in every season of PSL.
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