Babar returns to domestic first-class cricket after seven years in bid to rediscover form

After a prolonged seven-year hiatus from Pakistan’s domestic red-ball structure, star batter Babar Azam is stepping back into the trenches. In a move aimed at breaking a frustrating multi-year Test form slump, the former Pakistan captain has signed up as a guest player for the Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) in the ongoing President’s Trophy Grade 1 tournament. The decision follows a direct request by Babar to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to find him a competitive red-ball home so he can re-anchor his technique and re-establish a rhythm in the longest format of the game. The Weight of Numbers: A Prolonged Red-Ball Drought Babar’s struggles with the bat in Test cricket have been one of the most heavily scrutinized storylines in modern Pakistan cricket. The stats paint a stark picture of a world-class talent fighting an uphill battle: The Century Gap: Babar has not raised his bat for a Test century since December 2022, when he compiled 161 against New Zealand in Karachi. The Average Dip: Since the start of 2023, his Test average has plummeted to 30.43—nearly 12.55 runs below his stellar career standard. The Dry Spells: Across 39 innings in this rough window, he has managed only eight half-centuries, a stretch notably marred by an 18-innings sequence where he failed to pass 41. While a gritty 88 against the West Indies last month helped steer Pakistan to a rare away victory, the underlying vulnerabilities—exposed brutally during Pakistan's 3-0 sweep in England where quicks targeted his short-ball defense—prompted a re-think of his preparation. A Rare Return to the Domestic Fold Babar has been a stranger to domestic first-class cricket. Not since 2019—when he captained Central Punjab to the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy title—has he actively participated in a domestic multi-day match outside of international duty. In fact, apart from 2019, he hasn’t played more than a single domestic first-class fixture in any season since 2015. His return aligns with a broader shift in Pakistan cricket culture. Amidst a turbulent cycle that sees Pakistan languishing at the bottom of the ICC World Test Championship table and ninth in the Test rankings, the PCB has tightened its central contract stipulations. Category A and AB players are now legally or contractually mandated to log a minimum number of first-class appearances, joining other high-profile internationals like Shaheen Shah Afridi and Salman Agha who have also surfaced in the President's Trophy mix. A Lifeline for OGDCL and a Broader Shake-Up Babar’s arrival couldn't come at a more crucial juncture for OGDCL. Relegated last season but handed a lifeline back into the tournament following administrative shuffles by the PCB, OGDCL has endured a difficult start to the current campaign against Pakistan Television (PTV), stumbling while missing regular skipper Imam-ul-Haq. Babar’s presence injects immediate star power, technical grit, and much-needed experience into a fragile batting lineup. Simultaneously, the domestic landscape is seeing other high-profile shuffles. Fast-bowling allrounder Aamer Jamal—recently sent back from the tour of England—has signed as a guest player for first-class debutants Markhor IT Solutions (MITS), setting up an intriguing sub-plot for the second round of fixtures in Rawalpindi. For Babar Azam, the President's Trophy isn't just a contractual obligation or a PR exercise; it is a quiet, back-to-basics reclamation project. Stripped of the glaring international spotlight, the star right-hander will look to grind out time at the crease, trust his fundamentals, and remember the simple joy of scoring mountain loads of runs before the international calendar summons him again.Babar Azam has not played domestic first-class cricket since 2019, but recently requested the PCB to find him a team in the ongoing President's Trophy Grade 1 tournament