Kamran Ghulam became the 13th Pakistani cricketer to score a Test century on his debut. At 29, he is the second oldest, following Abid Ali in 2019, to reach three figures in his first match. Replacing Babar Azam, who was dropped for the 2nd and 3rd Tests against England, Kamran seized the opportunity and performed impressively.
The seasoned domestic player handled the English spinners skillfully on a pitch favourable to spin bowling. Kamran Ghulam reached his century off 192 balls and was visibly emotional after achieving the milestone. The entire Pakistan dressing room, including head coach Jason Gillespie, stood and applauded the debutant’s achievement.
Pakistan faced challenges after losing opener Abdullah Shafique and captain Shan Masood early. However, Ghulam and Saim Ayub teamed up to stabilize the innings with a 149-run partnership for the third wicket.
Big moment for Kamran Ghulam as he hits a FOUR to bring up his maiden Test century! 💯#PAKvENG | #TestAtHome pic.twitter.com/beA8rpCl68
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) October 15, 2024
Kamran was adept against spin, effectively using the sweep shot. He hit a six and nearly a dozen boundaries, reaching his century with a boundary. Even when Ben Stokes troubled him with the old ball, Kamran played with soft hands, ensuring edges didn’t carry to slips.
Mohammad Rizwan, batting at the other end, celebrated Kamran’s hundred enthusiastically and embraced him warmly in appreciation.
Ghulam has an outstanding record
In first-class cricket, Ghulam has an impressive record, having played 59 matches and scored 4,377 runs at an average of 49.17, including 16 centuries and 20 fifties. His standout achievement came in the 2020-21 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, where he became the first player to score over 1,000 runs in a single season.
Despite his strong domestic performance, Ghulam waited a long time for his international debut. He first gained attention during the 2014 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, where Pakistan finished as runners-up.
His path to the national team was complicated; he was named in Pakistan’s Test squad for the Bangladesh series in November 2021 and as a reserve for the Australia series in February 2022 but didn’t play.
Ghulam’s only prior international appearance was an ODI against New Zealand in January 2023, where he served as a concussion substitute but did not bat or bowl.
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