Babar Azam Joins OGDCL Squad Ahead Of President's Trophy Match Against KRL After 7-Year Domestic Cricket Gap; VIDEO

Pakistan's Test captain, Babar Azam, has rejoined the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) squad for their upcoming President's Trophy Grade-I match against Khan Research Laboratories (KRL). The four-day game is set to commence on Thursday, September 24, at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed Babar's inclusion in the OGDCL lineup on Wednesday, following Pakistan's disappointing 3-0 Test series loss to England and numerous controversies surrounding the team.

Babar is poised to make his debut in domestic four-day cricket in the President's Trophy after a seven-year absence. Alongside young talent Razaullah, KRL has added mystery spinner Usman Tariq to their squad for the third-round encounter. A video emerged on social media showing Babar Azam meeting the OGDCL players and support staff on the field.

Prior to this, Razaullah had posted a video of himself enjoying a green tea feast with teammates. The forthcoming match will be Babar's return to domestic first-class cricket following nearly seven years, with his last appearance being in December 2019 during the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy for Central Punjab. He is anticipated to participate in the third and fourth rounds of the President's Trophy.

The PCB announced that the tournament will span across Islamabad, Abbottabad, and Peshawar, with four matches scheduled from September 24 to 27. OGDCL has had a strong start to the tournament, currently occupying second place in the points table after just two rounds with 31 points. They enter Thursday's encounter against KRL after triumphing over Kingsmen Academy by nine wickets in their previous match.

As the match commences tomorrow, all eyes will be on Babar Azam as he reprises his domestic red-ball cricket role after a prolonged gap.