The second Test between Pakistan and England commenced today in Multan. All eyes were on Pakistan's batting, especially Kamran Ghulam who replaced Babar Azam at the number four position in the batting line-up. For the unversed, Babar had not scored a single fifty in 18 consecutive Test innings and was left out of the squad for the last two Tests against England.
Babar Azam is celebrating his 30th birthday today but his replacement, Kamran, has shone brightly in tough conditions in Multan. He came out to bat with Pakistan in trouble, after opting to bat first, at 19/2 and has played superbly notching up a century on debut. Let us know more about the debutant...
Kamran Ghulam has played 59 first-class matches so far and has amassed 4377 runs at an average of 49.17 with 16 centuries and 20 fifties to his name. He made his Test debut at the age of 29 after consistently scoring runs in domestic cricket over the years since 2013.
The middle-order batter had made his ODI debut in January 2023 against New Zealand as a concussion substitute to Haris Sohail. Pakistan's batting was already done by then and he only got an opportunity to field as New Zealand chased down 281 runs with two wickets in hand. Ghulam was dropped after the series only to be never called back.
Kamran Ghulam's domestic career so far
| Format | Matches (Innings) | Runs | Average | Best score | 50s/100s |
| First-Class | 59 (98) | 4377 | 49.17 | 166 | 20/16 |
| List A | 94 (91) | 3344 | 42.32 | 123* | 20/8 |
| T20 | 73 (61) | 1510 | 27.96 | 110* | 8/1 |
His List A numbers are also decent having amassed 3344 runs in 94 matches at an average of 42.32 with eight centuries and 20 fifties to his credit. In the shortest format, Kamran has featured in 73 matches scoring 1510 runs at a strike-rate of 127.10. He plays for Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and has scored 419 runs in 20 innings at a strike rate of 116.06.
With a solid start to his Test career, Kamran Ghulam will be looking to continue in the same vein and do wonders for Pakistan cricket.
