KARACHI: Pakistan’s star cricketers Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi have arrived in Australia for the upcoming 15th edition of the Big Bash League (PPL) which is scheduled to begin on December 14.
The announcement was made on social media by Babbar and Shaheen’s respective teams, Sydney Sixers and Brisbane Heat respectively.
Shaheen landed at Brisbane Airport in the early hours of Tuesday morning and took first place.
“The number one draft pick has landed. Welcome to Brisbane, (Shaheen Shah Afridi),” Heat X wrote earlier on Twitter, sharing pictures of the left-arm pacer at the airport.
Meanwhile, the Sixers announced Babbar’s arrival in the evening with a 14-second video that showed the star batsman entering the dressing room, followed by a text message saying, “He’s here.”
Notably, BBL 15 will run from December 14 to January 25, 2026, with 44 matches scheduled in prime evening slots.
Pakistan players including Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan and Hasan Ali have already started training camps at their respective teams’ grounds to adapt to the local conditions.
For the uninitiated, a total of seven national cricketers have been signed for the tournament, with Babar representing the Sixers, Shaheen’s Heat, Rizwan and Hasan Khan to play for the Melbourne Renegades, Rauf for the Melbourne Stars, Shadab for the Sydney Thunder and Shadab for the Sydney Thunder.
The BBL 15 fixture list has been released, with the finals retaining the classic four-match format. The qualifying round will begin on January 20, leading to the final on January 25, 2026.
During the tournament, players will be available for national duties as required.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) issued no-holds-barred certificates (NOCs) to all participating players, ensuring their availability for domestic and international commitments.
comments