Babar Azam’s much-awaited domestic cricket return after 7 years turns into nightmare

Babar Azam’s return to domestic cricket was eagerly awaited. However, his comeback after seven years turned into a nightmare. The Pakistan Test captain was dismissed for just 12 runs in his first first-class domestic cricket on Saturday. 

The 31-year-old was playing for Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) against Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) in the President’s Trophy Grade-I in Abbottabad. Babar scored 12 off 20 balls with two boundaries before being caught by Abdul Faseeh off a bouncer from Arshad Iqbal. 

It was Babar’s first red-ball domestic appearance since December 2019, and it has now become the tak of the town for the wrong reasons. KRL had posted 398 in their first innings, and OGDCL slipped to 46-4 following his dismissal on the third day of the match. 

Babar Azam’s much-awaited domestic cricket return after 7 years turns into nightmare

The return generated some much hyped local interest, with fans gathering at the ground and some entering the field to catch a glimpse of the star batter. Babar’s brief stay comes amid a difficult period in his international form. This outing was important as it marked the Pakistan player’s return to first-class cricket after a lengthy absence.

Babar also had a terrible tour of England when the batter recorded 94 runs from four innings, with a best of 76 runs. Meanwhile, the Pakistan cricket team is going through a terrible run of form and some changes. 

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