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

Babar Returns to Domestic First-Class Cricket After Seven-Year Hiatus to Revitalize Test Form

Babar has yet to add another centuries in Test cricket since December 2022, when he scored 161 in a drawn encounter against New Zealand in Karachi. Since the opening of 2023 his Test batting has stumbled further, with a personal average of just 30.43—a 12.55-drop compared to his all-time Test mark in the same format. This slump includes only eight half‑centuries across 39 innings during this period, including an eighteen‑wicket spree where he never passed forty. Four of those modest efforts occurred within his final five Tests. The most notable high point in that stretch came with a respectable 88 runs, scoring in a dominant performance throughout the second and final Test of Pakistan’s tour of the West Indies last month. That triumph secured Pakistan’s first away Test victory since July 2023 and snapped an eight‑match away Test string of defeats.

The deterioration of Babar’s form has become a persistent subject of debate within Pakistani cricket circles, where former players frequently analyse his technical deficiencies publicly. The recent three‑Test tour of England—where Pakistan suffered a 3‑0 dismantling—has intensified the scrutiny, with England’s quicks exploiting his vulnerability to the short ball at Lord’s and Edgbaston. Notably, Babar missed the opening engagement at Headingley due to a lingering injury.

Despite these setbacks, the captain remains largely absent from domestic first‑class competition, failing to suit up in any of the eight line‑ups selected by the PCB for this season’s President’s Trophy and President’s Cup. The last time he contested a domestic first‑class affair was in 2019, when he guided the defunt Central Punjab side to crown over Northern in the Final of the Quaid-e‑Azam Trophy—a milestone that represented more than the second such campaign of the year during a national tour of Australia and Sri Lanka, marking the sole post‑2015 season in which Babar recorded more than a single first‑class match in a calendar year.

This absence follows a broader trend, as several incumbent overseas stars—such as Shaheen Shah Afridi and Salman Agha—chose the President’s Trophy circuit this term. In response to Pakistan’s prolonged collapse in Test cricket and ICC tournaments, calls have grown for regulars to remain involved in domestic first‑class competitions; the PCB’s contract framework forces Category A (Test specialists) players to feature in at least six domestic games annually, while Category AB players must play at minimum four matches, compelling Category BC players to log two such fixtures per season.

The shift reflects a perceived necessity for depth: Pakistan sits ninth in the current ICC Test rankings and anchors the bottom of the nine‑team World Test Championship standings, missing crucial knocks in recent global events and being eliminated within five days of the 2025 Champions Trophy start.* OGDCL recently found themselves relegated from last year’s President’s Trophy following a poor finish that placed them at the tournament’s base of the eight‑team table. Though the PCB cancelled entry for WAPDA, Sahir Associates and Kingsmen Academy survived by the authority’s restructuring.* In contrast, BAARCL* returned after eliminating earlier entrants.* Babar’s reintegration into the OGDCL squad is poised to invigorate a side struggling against PTV in the President’s Trophy’s opening rounds. Trailing by 132 runs with three wickets short after falling behind on target at Round Three, the side have been forced to face captain Imam-ul‑Haq, who withdrew after failing fitness tests.*

Shaheen Shah Afridi is one of the prominent players returning to domestic first‑class cricket

Shaheen Shah Afridi is one of the prominent players to have returned to domestic first‑class cricket

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BABAR’S INDOOR RUSH

While Afridi re‑enters local arenas, Babar sees renewed opportunity within a larger first‑class landscape

Aamer Jamal Joins MITS as Guest Player

Fast‑bowling allrounder Aamer Jamal has been appointed as a guest and first‑class debutee for MITS ahead of their second‑round clash against Khan Research Laboratories in Rawalpindi. Prior to his brief return, Jamal featured in the President’s Trophy finalist SNGPL and powered through the 2025‑26 Quaid‑e‑Azam Tournament with Lahore Whites.

Jamal became one of seven internationals dispatched home by the PCB after Pakistan dispatched England in London.* Yet contrary to other tourists who saw limited usage, Jamel narrowly avoided appearing in the inaugural two encounters before receiving the axe.

Aamer Jamal, recently expelled from Europe, is now set to feature for immediate contenders MITS

Jamal represents the freshest addition to a handful of departures from abroad amid the PCB’s ambitious domestic expansion strategy.

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