Meet Haseeb Hameed, England’s 19-Year-Old Opener From Gujarat

Hameed became England’s youngest opening batsman.

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook/Haseeb Hameed)

At just 19, Haseeb Hameed made a promising 31 runs on his debut in the first innings of the first Test against India on Wednesday. And with that, he became England’s youngest opening batsman.

On Day 4, with his entire family cheering on from the sidelines, the youngster achieved a new career high. A fifty on debut to become the third youngest England batsman to score a Test half-century.

Even as he lifted his bat to celebrate, the broadcaster switched to the other end of the arena where senior Hameed seemed to have a little something stuck in his eye.

England’s batsman Haseeb Hameed raises his bat after scoring 50 runs on the fourth day of the first cricket test. (Photo: AP)

The Hameed family hails from Gujarat, the same state where he made his Test debut.

You wonder if a 19-year-old, coming on tour, will be overawed. But he hasn’t been at all. He has looked really good in the nets and the way he has gone about his business. It’s obviously a very special day to pick someone so young.

Alastair Cook, England Cricket Team Captain

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook/Haseeb Hameed)

(Photo: BCCI)

(Photo: BCCI)

(Photo: Reuters)

(Photo: BCCI)

Hameed, who averaged 48.50 in first-class cricket for Lancashire, has four centuries and nine fifties. Other than being the youngest batsman to score 1,000 runs for Lanchashire, Hameed is also the fifth-youngest to score 1,000 in a season for the country and the first to score a hundred in each innings of the Roses match.

Even though he was called up for the recently-concluded Test series against Bangladesh, he didn’t get a chance to play then. Hameed made it to England’s playing eleven in place of Gary Ballance, who was axed for his lack of runs in their last series.