Star batter Babar Azam, representing Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League, found himself at the center of social media mockery after being trolled by England cricketer Sam Billings. The trolling came just before the league’s resumption, which had been suspended due to rising cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan.
In a striking contrast of performances, Billings made headlines by smashing the fastest half-century of the current PSL season, reaching the mark in just 19 balls while playing for Lahore Qalandars against Quetta Gladiators. Babar, meanwhile, registered an unfortunate record of his own—the slowest fifty of the edition—taking 47 deliveries to get there in a match against Islamabad United.
The situation took a quirky turn when Billings reshared a post on Instagram that compared the two records. Adding a humorous twist, he layered the story with music from the popular Indian web series Panchayat, making the moment even more bizarre and widely talked about online.
The post highlighting the statistical contrast was originally shared by a cricket-focused Instagram page before being picked up by Billings. The playful dig sparked plenty of reactions from fans on both sides of the divide.
Amidst the off-field drama, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi provided some clarity on the league’s future. On Tuesday, he officially confirmed that the PSL will resume on Saturday, May 17, with the final scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 25.
