ISLAMABAD – Babar Azam is going back to where long innings start. 7 years after his last first-class appearance, the star batter is set to return to domestic cricket with OGDCL in the President’s Trophy, looking to rebuild his form, confidence and red-ball rhythm.
Test skipper is set to make a dramatic return to domestic first-class cricket after a gap of seven years, with the former No.1-ranked batter turning to the red-ball arena in a bid to rediscover his rhythm.
He is expected to represent OGDCL in the ongoing President’s Trophy Grade-I, despite not being part of the team’s original squad. He has reportedly been added following a special request from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), with his appearance expected in OGDCL’s upcoming second match.
The move comes at a crucial moment for Babar, whose recent run against England has once again intensified scrutiny over his batting form. He managed 97 runs across four innings in the series, falling short of the standards expected from one of Pakistan’s premier batters.
Now, rather than waiting for international cricket to provide the answer, Babar is heading back to the domestic red-ball grind — where long innings, difficult spells and sustained concentration could provide the ideal platform for a much-needed revival. Babar’s last domestic first-class appearance came in December 2019, when he helped Central Punjab win the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
Babar’s return comes shortly after another major Pakistan star, Shaheen Shah Afridi, made his own first-class comeback after a seven-year absence. Representing Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), Shaheen made an immediate impact, contributing 47 runs with the bat and claiming four wickets in the first innings.
The fast bowler’s successful return provides an intriguing backdrop to Babar’s decision. While Shaheen has used domestic cricket to sharpen his skills in the red-ball format, Babar will now be looking to use the same environment to rebuild confidence with the bat.
For Babar, this is more than simply another domestic appearance. The 31-year-old’s return to first-class cricket signals a clear attempt to get back to the basics of red-ball batting: spending time at the crease, dealing with movement, building long partnerships and converting starts into substantial scores.
