Babar Azam set to return to domestic red-ball cricket after nearly six years

Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam is set to mark his return to the country’s domestic red-ball circuit for the very first time since 2019, as he will feature for the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) in the ongoing President’s Trophy Grade-I, the department’s sports head Farah Batool confirmed in a report.   

Babar recently returned from England, where they lost the three-match Test series by a margin of 0-3 against the Joe Root-led side. Their batting department failed badly in the first two games at Headingley and Lord’s before they showed some fight back at Edgbaston.

Babar to turn out for OGDCL in the President's Trophy after a 2019 domestic exit

Babar’s last domestic red-ball appearance came when he captained the Central Punjab side to the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy title, when they got the better of the Northern by an innings and 16 runs in the final in 2019. The batter was recently also part of their drawn series against the West Indies in the Caribbean.

“Babar will arrive back in Pakistan from the UK on Sept 16 and will join the OGDCL squad the next day. His kit has been ordered. Babar will decide upon his arrival if he plays from the second match or the third match.” Farah expressed this, as per the reports.

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OGDCL are playing Pakistan Television in their President’s Trophy opener in Islamabad. They will face Kingsmen Academy in Peshawar in their next match on September 18, which will be followed by a fixture against Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) from September 24.

Babar joins prominent Pakistan players featuring in the President’s Trophy amid the PCB’s recent push for renowned players to participate in first-class cricket.

A fighting 76 wasn't enough to stop a 3-0 series defeat

Babar didn’t play in the first Test of the series at Headingley before returning with low scores of eight and six runs during the second game at Lord’s. He was bounced out by the fierce bouncer from Jofra Archer during the second innings of the clash.

After another failure during the first innings of the Edgbaston Test, he ended the series on a high with a 76-run knock, which was decorated with 11 boundaries and one six at a strike rate of 73.79. The right-handed batter was again bowled out into the leg side by Josh Tongue.

See Also: Watch: Babar Azam dismissed for 76 to continue century drought in 3rd Test vs England

Babar has overall collected 4771 runs in 122 innings for Pakistan of the longest format at an average of 42.98, thanks to nine centuries and 34 half-centuries at the best score of 196.