Kamran Ghulam becomes Pakistan's 2nd oldest man to hit Test hundred on debut

Kamran Ghulam, 29, became the second oldest man after Abid Ali in 2019 to hit a century for Pakistan in his Test debut. The seasoned campaigner looked comfortable against spin and pace on Day 1 of the second Test against England in Multan. oldest

In Short

• Kamran Ghulam hit a hundred in 192 balls on his Test debut in Multan
• The 29-year-old replaced Babar Azam after the former captain was dropped
• Pakistan went past 200 in the final session after a solid batting display

Kamran Ghulam became the 13th Pakistan cricketer to score a Test hundred on his debut. Kamran, 29, became the second oldest player after Abid Ali in 2019 to go past the three-figure mark on debut in the traditional format.

Kamran Ghulam, who replaced Babar Azam after the former captain was dropped from the squad for the 2nd and 3rd Tests against England, made the most of the opportunity that came his way as early as his debut. The experienced domestic campaigner looked assured from the word go, fending off the English spin threat wonderfully well on a pitch that aided the spin bowlers.

Pakistan vs England, 2nd Test Day 1 Updates

Kamran Ghulam got to his hundred in 192 deliveries. After getting to the landmark, the star batter was overwhelmed with emotions. The entire Pakistan dressing room, including head coach Jason Gillespie, was up on its feet, applauding the effort from the debutant.

Pakistan were in a spot of bother after losing opener Abdullah Shafique and captain Shan Masood cheaply. However, Ghulam and Saim Ayub rescued the team with a 149-run stand for the third wicket.

Kamran was effective against spin, employing the sweep to good effect. He hit a six and close to a dozen boundaries, bringing up his hundred with a boundary. Even when Ben Stokes was troubling him with the old ball, Kamran made sure he played with soft hands and ensured the edges did not carry to the slip cordon.

Mohammad Rizwan, who was batting on the other end, celebrated his partner's hundred with a lot of enthusiasm before giving him a warm hug of appreciation.

In first-class cricket, Ghulam boasts an impressive record. He has played 59 first-class matches, scoring 4,377 runs at an average of 49.17, including 16 centuries and 20 half-centuries. This stellar performance is highlighted by his achievement in the 2020-21 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, where he became the first player to score over 1,000 runs in a single season of the tournament.

Despite his consistent and impressive domestic performance, Ghulam had to wait a long time for his international debut. He first gained recognition during the 2014 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, where Pakistan finished as runners-up to South Africa. However, his path to the national team was not straightforward. He was named in Pakistan's Test squad for the Bangladesh series in November 2021 and as a reserve player for the Test series against Australia in February 2022, but did not get a chance to play.

Ghulam's only previous international appearance was in an ODI against New Zealand in January 2023, where he entered as a concussion substitute but did not get to bat or bowl.