Babar Azam throws fan's phone after pitch invasion at Diamond Ground, Islamabad

Babar Azam threw away a fan's mobile phone after a crowd of selfie-seekers ran onto the field at the Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad on Wednesday 30 September 2026. The video of the moment, from a domestic first-class match, has been shared widely on X, TikTok and Instagram in Pakistan since Wednesday evening.

What happened at Diamond Ground

• Match: President's Trophy Grade-I, fourth round, OGDCL vs State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
• Babar's innings: 21 off 39 balls, out to a short ball from Arshad Iqbal that he top-edged to mid-wicket. OGDCL were bowled out for 196 in 50 overs.
• The incident: as Babar walked off, fans invaded the pitch to take selfies with him. Geo Super reported that he pushed one fan away, threw that fan's phone, and then waved at the others to get off the field. ProPakistani reported the same sequence from the footage.
• Response: neither Babar nor the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had commented by Thursday morning.

Why the crowds keep coming

Babar is playing domestic first-class cricket for the first time since December 2019, and every appearance has drawn fans to grounds that normally see a few dozen spectators.

His form has added to the attention. Across three innings in this President's Trophy he has made 12, 4 and 21, a total of 37 runs.

What the PCB has said

Nothing yet. The PCB has not said whether it will add security at Diamond Ground for the rest of the round, or whether it will look at the incident. We will update this story if it does.

If you are going to watch a domestic match

1. Stay off the field. Entering the playing area is a breach of ground rules everywhere, and it puts you and the players at risk.
2. Ask at the boundary. Players often sign autographs or pose for photos at the rope after play or during breaks.
3. Check the fixture first. Pakistan's international cricket this week is at the Asian Games, where the team plays the final on Saturday at 10am PKT. Babar was also among the Pakistanis in today's ILT20 auction.