PAK vs ENG: Debutant Kamran Ghulam shines with century as Pakistan reach 259/5 against England

Pakistan's debutant batsman Kamran Ghulam scored a century as Pakistan scored 259 runs for the loss of five wickets on the first day of the second Test being played against England in Multan on Tuesday.

At the end of Day 1, Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha on the crease with 37 and 5 runs, respectively. Ghulam got bowled by Shoaib Bashir for 118 while Saud Shakeel was caught by Jamie Smith off Brydon Carse's delivery for a measly 4 off 14 balls.

Pakistan lost set batter Saim Ayub just before the tea break off of Matthew Potts' delivery. He scored 77 off 160. Ghulam and Ayub stood for a 149-run stand for the third wicket.

Earlier, Pakistan got off to a rocky start in the second Test against England, losing two crucial wickets.

Hoping to turn the tide after a humiliating defeat in the series opener, Pakistan Captain Shan Masood, opted to bat first after winning the toss on the same pitch that hosted the first Test

Jack Leach struck early, dismissing both Abdullah Shafique for just 7 runs and Shan Masood for 3 runs off 7 balls

Captain Shan Masood’s poor shot was caught easily after hitting his pads too hard.

Ben Stokes, who was injured during the first Test, made his return, while Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson were dropped from the squad.

Pakistan Squad:

• Captain Shan Masood

• Saeem Ayub

• Abdullah Shafiq

• Saud Shakeel

• Mohammad Rizwan

• Salman Ali Agha

• Kamran Ghulam

• Nauman Ali

• Zahid Mahmood

• Sajid Khan

England Squad:

• Captain Ben Stokes

• Zak Crawley

• Ben Duckett

• Ollie Pope

• Joe Root

• Harry Brook

• Jamie Smith

• Brendon McCullum

• Jack Leach

• Shoaib Bashir

Babar was among the four key players who were dropped from the Pakistani squad as PCB announced major changes to the team for second Test against after PCT's poor run in the opener.

It is the first time Babar has been dropped from the Pakistan team since his white-ball debut against Zimbabwe in Lahore in 2015 and Test baptism against the West Indies a year later.

Babar Azam, who served as Pakistan’s all-format captain until November, will watch from the sidelines along with leading pace bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, as announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday.

“We have made the decision to rest Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Shaheen Shah Afridi [from the Test squad],” selector Aqib Javed stated while revealing the squad.

Joining the squad are fast bowler Mohammad Ali and off-spinner Sajid Khan.

This is the first time Babar was left out of the Test squad since December 2020.

The right-handed batter has been struggling with form, failing to reach a Test fifty in his last 18 innings. His highest score in 2024 was just 31, achieved during the second Test against Bangladesh in September.

Selectors believe the move will allow the players to rest and rejuvenate.

Following Pakistan’s recent defeat, skipper Shan Masood and head coach Jason Gillespie expressed their support for Babar, stating he just needs time to find his form.

Once the International Cricket Council’s top-ranked batsman across all formats, Babar remains the number one in One Day Internationals but has seen a steep decline since the start of 2023.

He averaged below 21 in his last nine Tests, accumulating only 126 runs in six innings during the Australia series and 64 in two home Tests against Bangladesh last month.

Babar, Shaheen, and Naseem were dropped just two days after the PCB reshuffled its selection panel, bringing in former pace bowler Javed and Azhar Ali alongside the incumbent Asad Shafiq.

In an unusual move, the PCB also included former elite panel umpire Aleem Dar in the selection mix.