Pakistan’s rich tradition of producing impactful Test debutants continued in 2026 as young batter Azan Awais etched his name into the record books with a superb 103 against Bangladesh on Test debut.
Azan became the latest Pakistani batter to score a century in his maiden Test appearance, joining an elite list that stretches back more than six decades.
The journey began in 1964 when Khalid Ibadulla announced himself with a brilliant 166 against Australia. Since then, several iconic names have achieved the milestone, including Javed Miandad, who struck 163 against New Zealand in 1976, and Saleem Malik, who remained unbeaten on 100 against Sri Lanka in 1982.
Pakistan’s list of debut centurions also features Mohammad Wasim (109* vs New Zealand, 1996), Azhar Mahmood (128* vs South Africa, 1997), and Ali Naqvi (115 vs South Africa, 1997).
Among the standout performances remains Yasir Hameed’s remarkable twin centuries — 170 and 105 against Bangladesh in 2003 — making him one of the few players in Test history to score hundreds in both innings on debut.
Other notable names on the prestigious list include Younis Khan, Taufeeq Umar, Fawad Alam, Umar Akmal, Abid Ali, and Kamran Ghulam.
With his composed century against Bangladesh, Azan Awais has now become the newest entrant to one of Pakistan cricket’s most exclusive clubs, further underlining the country’s enduring legacy of batting talent in the longest format.
