Kamal joins select company

October 19, 2003 18:08 IST

Pakistan's debutant Asim Kamal joined a select band of cricketers on Sunday when he was dismissed for 99 on the third day of the first Test against South Africa.

The 27-year-old left-hander from the port city of Karachi was bowled by Andre Nel to become only the third player in cricket history, and the first from Pakistan, to be dismissed for 99 on his Test debut.

The two other instances involved Arthur Chipperfield of Australia and Robert Christiani of West Indies.

Chipperfield scored 99 against England at Nottingham in 1934 while Christiani got his 99 on debut against England at Bridgetown in 1947/48.

Donald Bradman had said to Chipperfield after his dismissal:

"Never mind, many people score centuries on debut. Very few get out at 99 and so you will be remembered as the first."

Kamal, on 86 not out at lunch, had moved on to 99 in quick time by hitting Nel for a four and then striking two more off spinner Paul Adams.

But the nervous nineties got to him when he played on after batting for 314 minutes, facing 246 balls and hitting 11 fours and one six.

Nine Pakistanis, Khalid Ibadulla, Javed Miandad, Saleem Malik, Mohammad Wasim, Ali Naqvi, Azhar Mahmood, Younis Khan, Taufeeq Umar and Yasir Hameed have scored hundreds on their test debut.

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