Ganesh Kendale
NEW DELHI: As Kamran Ghulam made headlines by hitting a century on debut against England in the second Test at Multan on Tuesday, he was lauded for not just the hundred but also for the fact that he had achieved the feat after replacing a stalwart like Babar Azam in the team.
Ghulam has gathered tons of runs in all three formats of the game since making his first-class debut in 2013.His highest performance came in 2020-21, when he scored 1,249 runs in 11 domestic matches.
That broke a 36-year record.
Ghulam was not given a chance despite being named in Pakistan’s preliminary team for a home series against South Africa in 2021.
Ghulam was part of Pakistan’s team for the one-day international in Karachi last year against New Zealand, but he only got to play because he was Haris Sohail’s replacement after he sustained a concussion.
After Pakistan’s innings defeat in the first Test, Ghulam finally made his Test debut by taking the place of the struggling Babar Azam.
Cashing on the opportunity, the 29-year-old debutant made a terrific 118 on the opening day of the second Test.
But now a two-year-old video is going viral where Pakistan’s star pacer Haris Rauf had slapped Ghulam in a Pakistan Super League (PSL) match.
The incident took place during a game between Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi.
Rauf was seen slapping and expressing his anger at his teammate Ghulam after the latter had failed to hold onto a catch during the last PSL 2022 league match between Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi.
Ghulam had dropped Peshawar Zalmi’s Hazratullah Zazai off Rauf but on the penultimate delivery of that very over, Fawad Ahmed took a good catch to dismiss Mohammad Haris. As the Lahore Qalandars players got together to celebrate the wicket, Rauf slapped Ghulam in frustration.
To Ghulam’s credit, he took it sportingly even though Shaheen Shah Afridi tried to calm down Rauf.
Rauf was reprimanded by the match referee for his shocking behaviour on the field.
This is not the first time that Rauf has had altercations. Remember the incident when he had almost come to blows with a fan after the T20 World Cup?
