Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam was involved in a bizarre incident during a President’s Trophy Grade-I fixture in Islamabad. The 31-year-old batter snatched a spectator’s phone and threw it away during the match between Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
The incident occurred at the Diamond Cricket Ground on Wednesday, September 30. Babar had already attracted large crowds since returning to first-class cricket after nearly seven years. The star batter was dismissed for 21 off 39 balls on the opening day of the fourth-round fixture in Islamabad.
Babar Azam Reacts After Fans Breach Security
Several spectators approached Babar Azam while he was fielding. One fan entered the playing area for a selfie, and Babar pushed him away and gestured for him to leave.
Another spectator then approached the Pakistan batter with a mobile phone. Babar took the phone from him and threw it onto the outfield before gesturing for the fans to move away. The repeated breaches reportedly frustrated the batter and also raised concerns about player safety at the venue.
After his dismissal, Babar was surrounded by a large group of spectators while walking back to the pavilion, with several fans attempting to take photographs and selfies. Ground staff eventually intervened and escorted him away from the crowd.
The incident divided opinions on social media. Some fans criticized Babar’s reaction and felt he should have handled the situation differently, while others pointed to the security breach and repeated attempts to approach him during the match.
Babar Azam throws a fan’s phone in anger after being asked for a selfie. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/UYtEt5yhMp
— Sheri. (@CallMeSheri1_) September 30, 2026
This was absolutely Shameful behavior by Babar Azam. 🥺 https://t.co/Yo6Zf2pRCi pic.twitter.com/3uFLU8481Z
— Qamar. (@Qamar5618) September 30, 2026
The spectator involved in the phone incident later said on social media that the episode had left him disappointed after waiting for hours to get a selfie with Babar. Islamabad Police subsequently increased security arrangements at the ground to control the crowd and prevent further breaches.
Babar Azam’s Poor Form Continues After Domestic Return
Babar Azam's latest batting failure added to the scrutiny around his return to domestic cricket. The right-hander scored 21 off 39 balls, hitting four boundaries, before spinner Afaq Afridi trapped him lbw. He had received an early reprieve when a catch was dropped at 12.
In his previous President’s Trophy appearance against Khan Research Laboratories, he scored only 12 and four in the two innings. He has managed just 37 runs across his first three innings for OGDCL.
He has not scored a Test century since December 2022, when he made 161 against New Zealand in Karachi. Since the start of 2023, Babar has averaged 30.43 in Test cricket and has scored only eight half-centuries in his last 39 innings.
His first-class return was expected to help him regain confidence and rhythm in red-ball cricket. The fourth-round fixture could also be his final appearance in the President’s Trophy.
President’s Trophy Round-Up: Azan Awais, Khurram Shahzad Shine
OGDCL were bowled out for 196 in 50 overs after Babar Azam’s dismissal, with Saad Khan top-scoring with 38. Niaz Khan added 28, and Mohammad Hammad Khan made 26, while SBP pacer Shahid Aziz returned impressive figures of 4/31. Off-spinner Mubasir Khan also claimed 3/24.
SBP reached 94/3 by stumps, leaving them 102 runs behind with seven wickets remaining. Hasan Raza was unbeaten on 52, while captain Ghazi Ghori was 30 not out.
Elsewhere, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited reached 277/3 against Pakistan Television in Peshawar after recovering from 98/3.
Azan Awais remained unbeaten on 130 off 249 balls for his 12th first-class century and shared an unbroken 179-run partnership with Omair Bin Yousuf, who was 82 not out. Mohammad Shahzad took three wickets for PTV.
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