'He Has Got A Bit Of Steve Smith About Him': Nasser Hussain Compares Kamran Ghulam To Aus Legend

Former England captain Nasser Hussain, who has now donned the hat of an expert and commentator, has compared Pakistani batter Kamran Ghulam with legendary Australian cricketer Steve Smith after the 29-year-old scored a century on his Test debut for the Shan Masood-led side on Tuesday (October 15). Kamran came out to bat at No. 4 for the Shan Masood-led side in the second Test of the three-match series in place of Babar Azam and hammered 118 runs from 224 balls. He crossed the 100-run mark with a boundary on the last ball of the 74th over of Pakistan’s innings and became the 13th player to score a century on the Test debut for Pakistan.

Impressed by Ghulam’s batting, Nasser said that he found the right-handed batter’s technique and footwork quite similar to that of Smith. What impressed him the most about Ghulam was his game-reading ability. The 29-year-old stole the show with his balance of aggression and resilience, saving his team from a potential batting collapse. According to Hussain, Ghulam took time to get accustomed to the conditions in Multan and played his shots accordingly.

“He (Kamran Ghulam) had to wait his turn. He’s been scoring prolific runs in the last three years. He got the right balance between attack and defence. He’s got a bit of Steve Smith about him when he defends the ball and charges. He’s got a bit of swagger about him,” Nasser said on Sky Sports.

Ghulam was brought into the Test squad as a replacement for Babar. Nasser feels that Ghulam’s century will work as a huge confidence boost for the selectors.

“For the turmoil you say about Pakistan cricket and the few weeks they’ve had, losing six in a row. Picking people on debut like Kamran immediately getting a hundred replacing Babar Azam—one of the all-time greats of Pakistan cricket. The selectors will breathe a sigh of relief with that one,” the former England captain explained.

Ghulam stitched a 149-run partnership with Saib Ayub for the third wicket and helped Pakistan rise from 19 for 2 to finish the day’s play at 259 for the loss of five wickets in 90 overs.