Babar Azam Returns To Domestic First-Class Cricket After Years Amid Test Struggles

Pakistan's Test cricket captain Babar Azam has returned to domestic first-class cricket after struggling in Test matches. OGDCL, a state-owned oil and gas company, has welcomed the star batter as a guest player in the President's Trophy Grade 1 first-class tournament. The PCB facilitated Azam's inclusion in the tournament to help him stay connected with the longer format and improve his game.

Babar Azam's struggles in Test cricket have persisted over the past few years, with his last century coming in December 2022. Since the beginning of 2023, he has scored only 30.43 runs in Tests, well below his career average. In 39 innings since then, he has made just eight half-centuries, with a streak of 18 innings where he failed to score beyond 41.

The controversy over Azam's underwhelming performance in Tests has sparked heated discussions among former players and pundits. His recent form in Tests has even led to his exclusion from the PCB's squads for the 2023 season's tournaments. Despite this, Babar Azam has largely avoided domestic first-class cricket, with his last appearance coming in 2019 when he captained Central Punjab to a Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final victory.