Babar Azam had a forgettable start to his BBL stint with the Sydney Sixers on Sunday, managing just two runs against the Perth Scorchers at Optus Stadium.
But the Sixers overcame a slow start to score 5-113 from the allotted 11 overs after rain delayed the start of the game.
Jack Edwards starred with an unbeaten 46 from 21 balls, sharing a 48-run partnership with Lachlan Shaw (19) from just four overs.
The Sixers were struggling at 2/15 when Azam popped his fifth delivery to Laurie Evans at mid-off off the bowling of Brody Couch.
His fellow opener, Dan Hughes, had already been dismissed, with the third ball of the innings, without scoring.
Josh Philippe got their innings going, belting 28 runs from just 18 balls, before he also fell to Couch.
Players were forced from the ground during their warm up, and fans onto the undercover concourse, 60 minutes before the scheduled start of play, as the 39-degree Perth temperature gave way to lightning and heavy rain.
Azam’s arrival to Australia’s domestic T20 competition has made headlines around the world and now one of the globe’s premier short-format batters will get his first chance to wow spectators when the Sixers play the Scorchers at Optus Stadium on Sunday.
Perth’s mission to restrict Azam’s impact took a blow before a ball has been bowled following the withdrawal of Jhye Richardson from the team’s opening game of the BBL15 season after being included in the Australian Test squad.
It’s not all going the Sixers’ way, with Sean Abbott failing to recover from a hamstring injury.
Abbott has taken more wickets than any other player in BBL history.
Sydney won BBL09 and BBL10 but have finished second every time before being bundled out in the finals.
Originally published as BBL Sydney Sixers v Perth Scorchers: Azam to debut, Abbott and Richardson injured
Read related topics:PerthSydney
