Babar Azam signs for OGDCL as guest player in President's Trophy to sharpen first-class form

Babar Azam's Domestic Return: A Calculated Move or Desperate Gamble?

Pakistan's captain is back in first-class cricket, and it tells you everything about the pressure mounting on his batting.

Babar Azam has been signed as a guest player by OGDCL for the ongoing President's Trophy Grade 1 tournament—a move he personally requested from the PCB to stay sharp in the longer format. The tournament kicked off Sep 12, and OGDCL are currently grinding out a first-round clash against PTV. At the close of day three, they're trailing by 132 with three wickets down, having been forced to follow on. Not helped by the fact that their regular captain Imamul Haq was pulled from the squad after reportedly failing a fitness test.

The Numbers Don't Lie

Let's cut through the noise. Babar hasn't crossed a Test century since December 2022—his 161 against New Zealand in Karachi. Since the start of 2023, his Test average has cratered to 30.43, a full 12.55 runs below his career norm. Across 39 innings, just eight half-centuries, including a brutal run of 18 innings without passing 41. His top score in this slump? A well-timed 88 against the West Indies last month.

The England tour only made it worse. England's pacers chewed into his well-documented vulnerability against the short ball, and he got shipped home along with six others after the Lord's Test.

Why Now?

Two factors driving this:

1. PCB contract obligations — Category A Test specialists must play 6 FC matches annually; AB needs 4; BC whiteball specialists need 2.

2. Team selection pressure — He was conspicuously absent from all eight squads announced this season. This is a statement of intent, or a cry for help, depending on how you read it.

Notably, he's joining a wave of internationals dipping into the tournament—Shaheen Shah Afridi and Salman Agha among them. Agha's 300* against Hyderabad Kingsmen Academy is still ringing in ears.

OGDCL's Rollercoaster

The club got relegated last season, finished bottom of the eight-team table. But a PCB decision to boot out WAPDA and Sahir Associates for regulatory non-compliance handed OGDCL (and Kingsmen Academy) a reprieve back into Grade 1.

The Other Side: Aamer Jamal to MITS

On the flip side, fast-bowling all-rounder Aamer Jamal has joined first-class debutants MITS as guest player—his first FC appearance for the club. He's the first Test cricketer in their squad and should be available against Khan Research Laboratories in Rawalpindi. Interesting move, given he was among the seven sent home from England.

Bottom Line

Babar's domestic stint is less about fitness and more about sending a message to selectors. But one question remains: can 300s and guest appearances fix a captain whose Test form has quietly collapsed? The market's watching.

Stats sourced from PCB records. Analysis by Ishaan_K

Source: Crictracker