Srinagar: England cricketer Sam Billings has praised Pakistan batter Babar Azam, calling him ‘king’ ahead of the much-awaited Big Bash League (BBL) debut in Australia.
While speaking on the tournament’s official page, Sam Billings called Babar Azam the king while emphasising the importance of his addition to the league.
“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,” Sam 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,” Sam Billings added.
Babar Azam was recently signed by the Sydney Sixers. The franchise called the signing ‘one of the biggest acquisitions in the league’s history’.
Following the announcement of the signing, Babar expressed his gratitude for joining the Sydney Sixers franchise.
“I’m very proud to be joining the Sydney Sixers for the upcoming season,” Babar said.
“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,” he added.
The right-handed batter also expressed his joy at sharing the dressing room with the biggest names in world cricket.
“I’m very excited to share the dressing room with world-class players like Steve Smith and Josh Hazlewood,” he remarked.
Babar Azam stated that he is eagerly waiting for BBL 15.
“I’ve played a lot of cricket in Australia, but I’ve been eagerly waiting for a chance to feature in the BBL,” he concluded.