Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam was surrounded by spectators as he walked back to the pavilion after being dismissed for 21 on the opening day of the fourth round of the President’s Trophy Grade-I at the Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad on Wednesday.
Babar, batting at number four for Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) after the side elected to bat against State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), faced 39 balls and hit four boundaries before being trapped leg before wicket by Afaq Afridi.
OGDCL were bowled out for 196 in 50 overs, with Saad Khan (38), Niaz Khan (28) and Mohammad Hammad Khan (26) making useful contributions. Shahid Aziz took 4-31 for SBP, while off-spinner Mubasir Khan claimed 3-24.
As Babar made his way off the field, several spectators entered the playing area seeking photographs and selfies. The situation quickly became crowded, prompting ground staff to intervene and escort the batter to the dugout.
Dawn understands that concerns over player security have been raised with the Pakistan Cricket Board following the incident.
The match is expected to be Babar’s last appearance in the President’s Trophy. The 31-year-old returned to domestic first-class cricket this month after nearly seven years but has struggled for runs, scoring 12 and four in his previous outing against Khan Research Laboratories (KRL).
In reply, SBP reached 94-3 in 28 overs, with Hasan Raza unbeaten on 52 and captain Ghazi Ghori on 30, leaving the side 102 runs behind.
Elsewhere, batters dominated on the opening day at three other venues.
At the Imran Khan Stadium in Peshawar, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited recovered from 98-3 to reach 277-3 against Pakistan Television. Azan Awais was unbeaten on 130 off 249 balls, his 12th first-class century, and shared an unbroken 179-run stand with Omair Bin Yousuf, who was 82 not out.
Mohammad Shahzad took three early wickets for PTV.
At the National Ground in Islamabad, Kingsmen Academy piled up 430-3 in 90 overs against KRL. Mohammad Suleman was unbeaten on 122, his seventh first-class century, while Salman Ali Agha was 106 not out, his 19th century. Earlier, captain Mohammad Tayyab Arif scored 98 and Saud Shakeel made 62.
In Abbottabad, Ghani Glass bowled out Markhor IT Solutions (MIT) for 150 in 32.1 overs, with Test fast bowler Khurram Shahzad taking 6-38. It was his 17th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
Shadab Khan took 3-27.
Ghani Glass reached 191-4 in reply, with captain Mohsin Riaz unbeaten on 69.
At stumps, SBP trailed OGDCL by 102 runs with seven wickets in hand, while Ghani Glass led MIT by 41 runs with six wickets remaining. The other two matches remained firmly in the balance after strong batting displays on the opening day.
