'King' Babar’s BBL signing draws royal praise from England’s Billings

England wicketkeeper-batter Sam Billings has showered praise on Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam, following his signing with the Sydney Sixers for the upcoming 15th edition of the Big Bash League (BBL).

In a recent interview, Billings described Babar as “King,” acknowledging his stature in world cricket and expressing excitement over the prospect of seeing the prolific right-hander in action during the tournament.

“He is King Babar Azam, as they call him. He’s been such a world-class performer for such a long time. Any competition featuring a player like Babar Azam benefits not only the Sixers, as you said, but the tournament as a whole,” Billings said.

“I’ve played a lot against him, and I’d much rather have him on my side than against me. I’m definitely looking forward to those Sydney derbies again,” he added.

The 34-year-old cricketer has been a regular feature in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) since 2022, representing Lahore Qalandars. He also praised the depth of talent in Pakistan cricket.

“I’ve played a lot of PSL cricket. The talent they have—the talent pool—is off the charts,” he noted.

Babar’s signing has already created a buzz in the cricketing world. Former England captain Michael Vaughan also reacted to the news with a brief yet impactful post on X (formerly Twitter), calling Babar’s signing a “Great signing.”

It is pertinent to mention that the Sydney Sixers officially announced Babar’s signing on Friday, marking one of the most high-profile acquisitions in BBL history.

The 30-year-old batter, who has scored over 10,000 international runs across formats, is widely regarded as one of the most consistent and prolific performers in world cricket.

Under BBL regulations, each team is allowed to sign one international player ahead of the official BBL 15 Draft, scheduled for Thursday, June 19. The Sixers capitalised on this opportunity to secure the services of the Pakistan maestro.

A key figure in Pakistan’s national side for more than a decade, Babar captained the team in all three formats from 2019 to 2024. Under his leadership, Pakistan reached the semi-finals of the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup and finished as runners-up in the 2022 edition.

Sharing his excitement in a video message released by the franchise, the former skipper expressed his enthusiasm for joining the Sixers and playing alongside Australian greats.

“Hey guys, super pumped to be joining the Sydney Sixers. Can’t wait to share the dressing room with my favorite batter, Steve Smith, and world-class bowler, Josh Hazlewood,” Babar said.

“I’ve always loved playing in Australia, but making my BBL debut will be something special. So I'm really excited and looking forward to getting over there and meeting my crazy cricket fans,” he added.