Babar Azam’s frustration was plain to see after Steve Smith denied him a routine single late in the Sydney derby, a tactical decision that ultimately changed the course of the match. The Big Bash League clash between Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder at the SCG on January 16 delivered drama, and the non-striker episode in the 11th over quickly became the headline.

With the Sixers preparing to take the Power Surge, Smith elected to keep the strike rather than hand it to Babar after the Pakistan captain nudged a drive to long-on. Babar set off for the run, only to be sent back as Smith refused the single—an on-field chess move designed to exploit a preferred match-up and the shorter boundary.

The immediate aftermath showed Babar visibly annoyed, gesturing as he muttered on the non-striker’s end before the pair exchanged words. It was a tense moment, but one rooted in T20 strategy more than personal animus.

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Smith’s gamble paid off spectacularly. Targeting Ryan Hadley in the next over, he unleashed an onslaught that produced 32 runs—the most expensive over in BBL history—featuring a sequence of towering blows that left the crowd stunned. The barrage swung momentum decisively to the Sixers and set the platform for a vintage Smith innings.

Smith backed up his intent with a masterclass of timing and calculation, finishing with a 42-ball century that included five fours and nine sixes. The result: a clinical Sixers chase of 190 in just 17.2 overs. For Smith, it was the kind of innings that justified ruthless tactical calls. For Babar, who had made a valuable 47 off 39, it was a bitter mix of good personal form and a moment he couldn’t influence.

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After the match, Steve  Smith was candid about his plan. He explained why he delayed the Surge by an over and why he wanted to face Hadley at the shorter end, acknowledging that Babar might not have been thrilled with the decision. “I wanted to target the short boundary and didn’t want to mess up the first Surge over,” Smith said. “I was aiming to get around 30 from that over, and we ended up with 32.”

In the heat of a high-stakes derby, the episode underlined a modern T20 truth: split-second tactical calls can spark controversy but also win games. Smith’s ruthless choice did both.