Abbottabad, 23 September 2026 (Ghufran): Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam has joined the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) squad for the third round of the President’s Trophy Grade-I, marking his return to first-class cricket after seven years. The right-handed batter last played first-class cricket for the now-defunct Central Punjab, leading the side to the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy title. Babar is returning to domestic cricket amid a period of reduced scoring in Test cricket. He has not scored a Test century since December 2022 and has averaged 30.43 since the beginning of 2023, with eight fifties in his last 39 innings. His highest Test score since his last century is 88, which he scored against the West Indies in the second Test last month. OGDCL will face Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium from September 24 to 27. Several other prominent players have also joined their respective teams for the third round. All-rounder Razaullah has strengthened the OGDCL squad, while spinner Usman Tariq has joined KRL. Naseem Shah and Abdullah Shafique will represent Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), along with Pakistan U19 players Hamza Zahoor, Abdul Subhan and captain Farhan Yousaf. Middle-order batter Saud Shakeel has joined Kingsmen Academy, while all-rounder Aamir Jamal has linked up with Markhor IT (MIT) Solutions. Opener Abdullah Fazal has joined the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), while left-arm spinner Ali Usman has joined Pakistan Television (PTV). Ghani Glass have also been strengthened by emerging pacer Hunain Shah, while Shadab Khan has returned after featuring in the Caribbean Premier League 2026. Noman Ali, who was playing County cricket in England, is expected to join his department ahead of the fourth round.