Aaqib Javed: “Fielding is a key factor, and that’s why we had to assess Kamran Ghulam. In this format, having a good fielder is crucial, which is why we haven’t selected Kamran”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan Director of High-Performance Aaqib Javed has admitted that batsman Kamran Ghulam was dropped for the recent limited overs tour of New Zealand due to his fielding.
He noted that Ghulam needs to improve his fielding as it is an important asset to have in white-ball cricket.
Ghulam has become a useful middle over batsman for the men in green and has produced a number of impressive knocks, including a sublime 118 on Test debut against England in October 2024 and a brilliant 103 in an ODI against Zimbabwe in November 2024.
While he has putting his batting prowess on show, Aaqib, who recently served as Pakistan’s interim head coach, reiterated the need for the 29-year-old to work on his fielding.
“Right now, based on what we’ve seen, ODIs have become more challenging than Tests. Fielding is a key factor, and that’s why we had to assess Kamran Ghulam. In this format, having a good fielder is crucial, which is why we haven’t selected Kamran,” he was quoted as saying by PakPassion on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Ghulam is now representing the Multan Sultans in the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he has struck 159 runs in eight games, which includes a top score of 52 not out, at an average of 31.80 and a strike-rate of 148.59.
PSL 10 will conclude on May 25.
Multan Sultans Squad for PSL 10:
- Platinum: Michael Bracewell, Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Usama Mir
- Diamond: David Willey, Iftikhar Ahmed, Usman Khan
- Gold: Chris Jordan, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain
- Silver: Akif Javed, Gudakesh Motie, Josh Little, Faisal Akram, Tayyab Tahir
- Emerging: Ubaid Shah, Shahid Aziz
- Supplementary: Johnson Charles, Muhammad Amir Barki, Shai Hope, Yasir Khan
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