Meet Kamran Ghulam, the man Pakistan brought in to replace Babar Azam

Dir, a scenic valley in the northern part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has been contributing a lot to Pakistan cricket.

On Tuesday, middle order batsman Kamran Ghulam, who also can bowl left-arm spin, became the third cricketer from Dir to earn a Test cap against England at Multan.

Kamran, who celebrated his 29^th birthday last week, replaced former Pakistan captain Babar Azam, who was axed from the playing eleven after a series of below-par showings in recent times.

The prolific Kamran did not disappoint as he gave a display of grit and determination by scoring a century on debut on a tricky Multan wicket on the opening day of the second Test against England. He is the 13th Pakistani to score a Test ton on debut.

Before Kamran, pace sensation Naseem Shah (Jandool Mayar, Dir Lower) and Imran Khan Senior (Maidan, Dir Lower) played Test cricket from this region.

Kamran belongs to Hayagai, a village in Dir Upper. However due to enmity, his family migrated to Peshawar a couple of decades ago. Kamran made his bones as a cricketer in Peshawar where cricket structure is far better than Dir.

Peshawar-based former first-class cricketer Qazi Shafique’s Islamia Cricket Academy, which operates in Nasir Bagh these days, has also played a key role in his grooming.

“Kamran was seen for the first time in the Malik Saad Shaheed event conducted in Dir Lower while representing Malik Saad Shaheed Dir Upper Academy. I remember he scored a fifty in one of the matches,” Mukhtiar Hussain, former secretary of Dir Upper District Cricket Association, told Nukta.

“He later got selected in Dir Upper Under-19 team and also captained it in 2011-2012 season. We played the final against Mardan at Aboottabad which Mardan won by first innings lead,” Mukhtiar said.

“And next year Dir Upper defeated Swabi in the final at Swabi under Kamran’s captaincy. In both years Kamran was top scorer with over 600 runs, also including a double century against Mansehra,” Mukhtiar said.

“He then got selected in the Abbottabad Region and also batted well which earned him a spot in Pakistan Under-19 team for the Asia Cup and also in the 2014 Under-19 World Cup,” said Mukhtiar, who also served as manager of Abbottabad Region at a time when former Pakistan captain Younis Khan was the region’s captain.

Kamran, who lives at Lalazar Colony, University Town in Peshawar, then made his first-class debut for Abbottabad and went on to play all kind of major cricket also including the PSL for Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars.

Kamran’s elder brothers Amir Ghulam and Mohammad Alam also used to play local level cricket. His younger brother Sardar Daud is an active club-level cricketer.

Jolly figure

“Kamran is a jolly figure and he keeps the dressing room environment quite relaxed,” Mukhtiar said.

Mukhtiar added that Kamran’s solid attribute as a cricketer is that he focuses on his fitness more than anything else.

“He never ignores his fitness and works extra hard on it and this is the main reason why he has been so successful,” Mukhtiar said.

In Pakistan’s cricket structure Dir Upper is associated with Abbottabad Region while Dir Lower is associated with Peshawar Region.

In 2020-2021 season Kamran Ghulam set a new record in Pakistan’s first-class cricket by amassing the highest aggregate of 1249 runs in a season while representing Khyber Pakhtuhnkhwa. He hit five centuries and the same number of fifties in 19 innings, averaging 62.45.

Kamran has so far played 59 first-class matches and has scored 4377 at a decent average of 49.17. His fine journey is punctuated with 16 centuries and 20 fifties.

He has scored 3344 runs in 94 List A matches at an average of 42.32 which contains eight centuries and 20 fifties.

In 73 T20s he has made 1510 at an average of 27.96, which includes one century and eight fifty.

In 2023, Kamran made his ODI debut for Pakistan against New Zealand at Karachi in a day-nighter. He was brought in as a concussion substitute for Haris Sohail in the second half of the game when New Zealand were chasing 281.