Sydney Sixers v Hobart Hurricanes, live coverage, start time, how to watch, team lists

May as well get straight into it, right? That’s the question we all need answered. Perhaps that Test guy could aim for the roof of the Brewongle Stand again and answer this question via another splendid century against the Hobart Hurricanes. Steve Smith this time won’t have Babar Azam around to knock his opening partner back for a single (it was worth it) because the marquee man is suddenly gone.

The Sixers announced on Thursday Azam had left before tonight’s critical match, returning to Pakistan to “commence preparations for upcoming international matches”. The premature departure followed Mark Waugh’s call for him to be dropped for this ‘Challenger’ final. It had been a strangely disappointing season for the leading runs-scorer in T20 international history, who’s managed just 202 runs at an average of 22.44 with a strike rate of 103.06.

Pakistan have not yet named their squad for next month’s T20 World Cup, nor the squad for their three-game T20 home series against Australia starting on January 29.

Anyway, let’s stop talking about the guy who’s not here and talk about the other guy who’s not here …