Babar Azam Receives Multiple Offers to Play County Cricket

Pakistan’s premier batter Babar Azam has once again attracted interest from England, with County Cricket clubs approaching him to feature in the final stages of their season.

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Babar, who has previously represented Somerset, was approached by County teams, with Yorkshire and Warwickshire reportedly the teams asking him to participate in the rest of the tournament. While there is no official word, reports from journalist Saj Sadiq suggest the star batter is unlikely to accept the offers at this time.

The short remaining window of the English County Championship season, coupled with the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) policy on issuing No Objection Certificates (NOCs), has tilted his decision towards staying back. The policy allows centrally contracted players to participate in a limited number of overseas leagues per year. Accepting the County stint now would mean using one of those NOCs, leaving Babar with fewer options to explore in high-profile global tournaments later in the season. He is expected to use one of his NOCs to play in the Big Bash League in December.

Babar Azam has previously enjoyed successful stints in England, representing Somerset in the T20 Blast and gaining praise for his ability to adapt to seaming conditions, but hasn’t donned the County Cricket whites. His absence this time, however, is more about strategy than opportunity. The right-hander currently has a spot open in his calendar after being left out of Pakistan’s Asia Cup squad.

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County cricket officials, meanwhile, are believed to have made late approaches, hoping to secure Babar’s services for their final push. While his decision not to join may disappoint English fans, it signals his intent to preserve flexibility for bigger assignments.

For now, Babar Azam seems content letting this County season pass by, keeping his eyes fixed firmly on the bigger picture.

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