Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam has made a major decision regarding his red-ball future following a challenging series against England, requesting the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to arrange domestic first-class matches to help him regain his form and rhythm.
As part of this initiative, Babar will participate in the ongoing President’s Trophy Grade-I first-class tournament as a guest player for the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) side. This marks Babar’s return to domestic first-class cricket after a seven-year hiatus, having last appeared in a domestic red-ball fixture in 2019 when he captained Central Punjab to a Quaid-e-Azam Trophy title.
Babar has faced a prolonged lean patch in the longest format, failing to score a Test century since December 2022. Across 39 innings from 2023 onward, his batting average has dipped to 30.43, with only eight half-centuries to his name since his last three-figure score of 161 against New Zealand in Karachi. Former cricketers and analysts have increasingly scrutinized his technique, particularly against short-pitched deliveries.
With OGDCL securing his guest inclusion, fast-bowling all-rounder Aamir Jamal is also set to feature in the domestic tournament as a guest player for MITS, as national players seek rigorous red-ball conditioning ahead of upcoming international assignments.
