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Steve Smith dismissal - (Source: ScreenGrab)
On Sunday, January 18, Sydney Sixers locked horns against the Brisbane Heat in the last match of the BBL group-stage round. Notably, it was a do-or-die game for both teams as the winner would have secured a berth in the play-off round set to begin from January 20.
In the pressure game, Steve Smith rose to the occasion and extended his handsome form with a fifty to help his side qualify for the finals. Notably, Heat, batting first, put 171/9 on the board. In return, the Sydney Sixers chased down the target in 18.4 overs with five wickets in hand.
Zaman Khan stuns Steve Smith with stunning yorker
Smith was the star batter and scored 54 (40), which featured five fours. The Australian star power was dominating the innings and looked to stay till the last, but Pakistan’s Zaman Khan ruined his plans. The right-arm seamer, who has made a name for himself with his Lasith Malinga-like action.
On the 2nd ball of the 16th over, Zaman Khan bowled a stunning yorker that left Steve Smith speechless. The right-arm seamer was elated after the dismissal and roared as a part of his celebration.
Zaman Khan represents Heat as Shaheen Afridi's replacement
Notably, Zaman Khan was not part of Heat's squad early on but came in as a late replacement for injured Shaheen Afridi. The left-arm seamer dealt a blow to his knee in a BBL game against Adelaide Strikers.
Eventually, the PCB decided to call back Shaheen to continue recovery in Pakistan. Since, the T20 World Cup 2026 is around the corner, the PCB didn't want to take any risk with Shaheen's fitness and asked him to pull out of BBL.
“He’s a genuine wicket-taker up front but he can also control an over with his variations and pace. We know he can complement our attack nicely and give us some additional options in the key bowling periods in the game,” remarked Botha while signing Zaman as Shaheen's replacement.
Talking about Zaman Khan's performance in BBL 2025-26, it has not been the best as the right-arm seamer has just two wickets in three innings, bowling with an economy of 8.20. He also has a strike-rate of 30.
Meanwhile, Shaheen Afridi didn't had a great outing as well and picked up just two wickets in four innings in the BBL.
Pakistan players struggle in BBL 2025-26
Overall, it has not been a great BBL for Pakistan players. Mohammad Rizwan has struggled with just 187 runs in 10 innings. Meanwhile, Babar Azam has done slightly better and amassed 202 runs in 10 innings. Notably, all the players playing in BBL had also skipped national commitments except Shadab Khan.
Among the bowlers, Hasan Ali is the only player from Pakistan, who has nine wickets in eight innings, with a strike-rate of 19.00. His best spell came from December 23 to December 31, where he picked up six wickets in three matches.
