Nasim-ul-Ghani: 16-year-old Test cricketer who scored a century at Lord’s

In January 1958, when Pakistan took the field against the West Indies at Bridgetown, the side included a 16-year-old boy. He was Nasim-ul-Ghani, who became the youngest Test cricketer in the world at the time. The left-arm spinner took six wickets in an innings on the same tour. Four years later he scored a century at Lord’s, becoming the first Pakistani to score a Test century in England². His 29-Test career ran from 1958 to 1973. He scored 747 runs and took 52 wickets¹.

Early life and start in cricket

Nasim-ul-Ghani was born in Delhi on 14 May 1941. He batted left-handed and was mainly a left-arm spinner, but could also bowl medium pace when needed. According to ESPNcricinfo, his biggest weapon was flight, the ability to loop the ball in the air. ESPNcricinfo also lists four brothers as his relatives: Atiq-ul-Ghani, Raees-ul-Ghani, Tehzeeb-ul-Ghani and Anis-ul-Ghani².

His first-class career began in the 1956-57 season. He represented Dacca, East Pakistan, Karachi, National Bank and Pakistan Universities. In England he also played for Staffordshire and Minor Counties².

He played his first Test at Bridgetown, starting on 17 January 1958. Batting at number nine in the first innings, he scored 11 runs. He bowled 14 overs without taking a wicket¹.

West Indies tour and bowling

On his very first tour, Nasim-ul-Ghani showed his ability. At Georgetown on 13 March 1958, he took 5 wickets for 116 runs in a long spell of 41.4 overs. Soon afterwards, in the last Test at Port of Spain, which began on 26 March 1958, he took 6 wickets for 67 runs in 30.5 overs. These are the best bowling figures of his Test career¹.

The following year, when the West Indies toured Pakistan, he took 4 wickets for 35 runs in 16 overs at Karachi on 20 February 1959. The three Tests he played in that Pakistan won were all from the 1958-59 series¹.

According to ESPNcricinfo, his career began very well, but he did not fully live up to the expectations of his early years².

The Lord’s century

Nasim-ul-Ghani was also a versatile batsman. According to ESPNcricinfo, he opened for Pakistan and also batted at number eleven². At Kanpur on 16 December 1960, he came in at number eight against India and made 70 not out¹.

His most memorable day with the bat came at Lord’s in 1962. In the second innings of the Test that began on 21 June, he went in as nightwatchman and scored a century. He made 101 runs in an innings of 180 minutes, with 15 fours and a six. According to ESPNcricinfo, it was the first Test century by a Pakistani in England². It is also the only Test century of his career. In 7 Tests played in England, he scored 266 runs in all. His batting average against England was 24.07, the second best against any team¹.

His last Test began against Australia at Sydney on 6 January 1973. In that match he opened the batting and scored 64 off 105 balls in the first innings¹.

Statistics

Source: ESPNcricinfo Statsguru¹. The figures are for his international career.

Legacy

Nasim-ul-Ghani’s name is linked with two firsts in Pakistan’s cricket history. He was the youngest Test cricketer of his time and the first Pakistani to score a century in England².

He stayed involved with cricket after his playing days. He was assistant manager on Pakistan’s 1996 tour of England. He later served as a national selector and as the ICC’s development officer for South Asia. In 1996 he also officiated as an ICC match referee in 2 Tests and 7 one-day internationals².

From a 16-year-old at Bridgetown to a centurion at Lord’s, Nasim-ul-Ghani’s journey is an interesting story from the early years of Pakistan’s Test cricket.