Babar Azam set to return to domestic cricket after nearly seven years

Test captain Babar Azam is set to return to domestic first-class cricket after nearly seven years, following the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) directives requiring national players to participate in domestic competitions. Sources said Babar will represent Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) in the President’s Trophy Grade-I first-class tournament. The first round of the President’s Trophy Grade-I is currently underway, while the second round is scheduled to begin on September 18. Babar is expected to play domestic cricket after returning to Pakistan and finalising the necessary arrangements, the sources said. Babar last played a first-class match in Pakistan for Central Punjab in December 2019. The PCB has made participation in first-class cricket mandatory for national players as part of its domestic cricket requirements. Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi is also playing first-class cricket after a lengthy gap, while Haris Rauf, Fakhar Zaman and Salman Ali Agha are among other national cricketers featuring in the President’s Trophy.

Read full story on Aaj English Tv