Babar Azam was dropped by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the second and third Tests against England. He has been replaced by fellow 29-year-old, Kamran Ghulam.
Ghulam is set to make his Test debut for Pakistan, 11 years after bursting onto the scene as a young 17-year-old in 2013. The all-rounder has big shoes to fill, replacing Pakistan's premiere batter in Babar Azam.
Here is everything you need to know about the experienced campaigner, who has been making rounds in the Pakistan domestic circuit, all this while.
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Who is Kamran Ghulam?
Kamran Ghulam was born on October 10, 1995, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Ghulam has had to wait for a long time before he could finally make his Pakistan debut.
Since making his domestic debut as a 17-year-old in 2013, Ghulam has represented Pakistan in the U19 World Cup 2014. He has a runners-up medal from the tournament, as Pakistan finished second-best to South Africa in the final.
Before being called up as Babar Azam's replacement in the 2nd and 3rd Tests against England in 2024, Ghulam was named in Pakistan's Test squad for the Bangladesh series in November 2021. He was also named among the reserve players to face Australia in a Test series in February 2022.
Regarding his exploits in the domestic circuit, Ghulam became the first player to score 1000 runs in a single season for the Qaid-E-Azam trophy in December 2020, in the 2020/21 season. After all the toil and hard work, the 29-year-old is set to make his first appearance for Pakistan on October 15.
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What is Kamran Ghulam's batting and bowling style?
Ghulam is a genuine all-rounder, an added feather to his cap, over Babar Azam. Not only can he replace Azam as a batsman, but Ghulam could also roll his arms if need be.
He is a right-handed batter, and a slow left-arm orthodox bowler - similar to India's Ravindra Jadeja, or Pakistan's Mohammad Nawaz. Ghulam has over 9000 runs and 120 wickets to his name in Pakistan's domestic circuit, and his set to make his first international appearance in the second Test in Multan, starting on October 15, 2024.
Which T20 leagues have Kamran Ghulam played in?
Kamran Ghulam has only featured in the Pakistan Super League. He has not played in any of the overseas domestic T20 leagues. Ghulam represented Islamabad United in the 2016 season. He most recently played for Lahore Qalandars in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Fun fact: Ghulam has three PSL titles to his name, winning the trophy in all the seasons he was picked to represent a franchise in PSL.
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Has Kamran Ghulam played for Pakistan?
Ghulam made his one-and-only appearance for Pakistan in an ODI against New Zealand in Karachi last year. A decade after making his domestic debut for Abbottabad Falcons in a List A game against Peshawar Panthers in 2013, Ghulam achieved his life-long dream of playing for Pakistan on January 13, 2023.
Even his maiden appearance was a strange one, as he failed to make it to the team sheet. Ghulam only appeared as a concussion substitute to Haris Sohail in the second half of the game.
What is Kamran Ghulam's domestic record in Pakistan?
Batting Record:
| Format | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 50s/100s | High Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FC | 59 | 4377 | 49.17 | 53.04 | 20/16 | 166 |
| List A | 94 | 3344 | 42.32 | 86.85 | 20/8 | 123* |
| T20s | 73 | 1510 | 27.96 | 127.10 | 8/1 | 110* |
Bowling Record:
| Format | Matches | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate | Economy | Best Figures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FC | 59 | 28 | 45.92 | 81.8 | 3.36 | 4/58 |
| List A | 94 | 68 | 27.42 | 32.7 | 5.02 | 7/23 |
| T20s | 73 | 32 | 22.00 | 17.8 | 7.39 | 4/11 |
What is Kamran Ghulam's PSL record?
Batting Record:
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 50s | High Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 20 | 419 | 22.05 | 116.06 | 1 | 55* |
Bowling Record:
| Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate | Economy | Best Figures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 6 | 1 | 79.00 | 54.00 | 8.77 | 1/15 |
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