Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam has returned to domestic first-class cricket after nearly seven years. He is representing Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) as a guest player in the President’s Trophy Grade-I tournament.
Babar’s comeback began with OGDCL’s third-round match against Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), which started on September 24 at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed that Babar had joined OGDCL before the match.
His last domestic first-class appearance came on December 30, 2019, when he captained Central Punjab against Northern in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final. Central Punjab won that match by an innings and 16 runs.
Babar had asked the PCB to help him join a domestic team so he could get more experience in the longer format. The board then arranged his participation with OGDCL.
The 2026-27 President’s Trophy is Pakistan’s first red-ball domestic tournament of the season. It features eight teams and includes several established national players. ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi is playing for KRL, while T20I captain Salman Ali Agha is representing Kingsmen Academy.
