Veteran Pakistan batter Babar Azam's return to first-class domestic cricket in the opening round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2026/27 highlighted his ongoing struggles with form.

Representing the Lahore Whites against FATA at the Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad, his batting displays across both innings fell short of expectations.

In the first innings, Babar scored 28 runs off 40 balls before a controversial caught-behind dismissal off Afaq Afridi. The right-hander gestured that the ball had come off his thigh pad, but he was forced to walk back due to the lack of a Decision Review System (DRS) in the domestic tournament.

In a daunting fourth-innings chase of 412 runs, Babar managed 42 runs off 77 balls. He fell victim to a familiar off-stump trap, edging a swinging length delivery from right-arm pacer Shahid Aziz to wicketkeeper Rehan Afridi.

The mounting pressure and a string of low scores culminated in a rare show of raw emotion. Following his second-innings dismissal, a visibly fuming Babar Azam was seen smashing his bat against the pitch in sheer frustration before returning to the dressing room. His dismissal triggered a collapse, and Lahore Whites ultimately crumbled to a heavy 241-run defeat against FATA.

With Pakistan's upcoming Test assignments on the horizon, the pressure continues to pile on Babar to resolve his technical vulnerabilities and rediscover his rhythm.

Pakistan's first match of the two-Test series against Sri Lanka is slated to get underway on November 9 in Rawalpindi.