Babar Azam, the best batter in Pakistan, has been added to the OGDCL team as a guest player for the President’s Trophy third round, after an almost seven-year hiatus from first-class cricket. In advance of OGDCL’s four-day match versus KRL at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, which is set for September 24–27, the PCB confirmed the change on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.
The 31-year-old’s most recent first-class appearance was in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final in December 2019, where he led Central Punjab to win over Northern by an innings and sixteen runs. This President’s Trophy participation is a significant milestone in his domestic career because of the nearly seven-year lapse. His comeback comes after Pakistan’s 3-0 Test series loss to England, which has caused a number of experienced players to look for competitive red-ball cricket on the domestic circuit.
What made Babar Azam decide to play for the OGDCL?
In order to maintain rhythm in the longer format and hone his first-class form in preparation for upcoming overseas assignments, Babar Azam decided to sign with OGDCL. Confirmed sources state that he asked the PCB to continue playing red-ball cricket, and the board arranged for him to sign a guest contract with OGDCL. His inclusion for the Abbottabad match versus KRL was specially permitted by the board.
For the third round, OGDCL has added two more players to their roster. Together with 18-year-old pacer Ali Raza, Razaullah earned his Test debut against England in 2026. OGDCL has a well-rounded appearance for the four-day match thanks to the combination of two up-and-coming players and a proven international batter.
Also Read: Billy Root Announces Retirement From Professional Cricket
There has been a notable influx of Pakistan internationals in a number of departments during the third round of the President’s Trophy. KRL has acquired mystery spinner Usman Tariq to its roster and strengthened their pace attack with Shaheen Shah Afridi. Along with Pakistan Under-19 players Hamza Zahoor, Abdul Subhan, and Farhan Yousaf, SNGPL has added Test batsmen Naseem Shah and Abdullah Shafique.
Saud Shakeel joining Kingsmen Academy, Aamir Jamal joining MIT Solutions, Abdullah Fazal joining State Bank of Pakistan, Ali Usman joining Pakistan Television, and Hunain Shah joining Ghani Glass are some more noteworthy changes. In the future, it is anticipated that Shadab Khan and Noman Ali would connect with their respective departments prior to the start of the tournament’s fourth round.
