3 ways Pakistan can fit Kamran Ghulam and Babar Azam together in Test 11
Kamran Ghulam is a welcome addition to Pakistan's batting pool amid a prolonged crisis. The right-handed batter was under a lot of pressure, coming into the side as Babar Azam's replacement for the latter half of the Test series against England.
However, the 29-year-old let his first-class experience do the talking and scored a memorable ton on his Test debut to rescue Pakistan from a perilous situation. The early signs have been excellent, but the management soon needs to think about the long-term consequences and plan on how to integrate Ghulam into the squad.
As the management clarified, Babar Azam was rested keeping the schedule in mind, and not dropped by any means. Keeping a player of Babar's stature away from the side is not practical, and the former skipper will certainly claim his trademark No. 4 position when he inevitably returns. So where does that leave Kamran Ghulam?
Axing the player after such a promising start is hardly fair, while there is not much room in the batting order to slot him back in. On that note, let us take a look at three ways Pakistan can fit Kamran Ghulam and Babar Azam together in their Test-playing XI.
#1 Drop the all-rounder in Salman Ali Agha
In what may seem like a very harsh move considering Salman Ali Agha boasts an average of 47.87 in Tests, the ploy is designed to meet the demands of the side. Pakistan's current priority is sorting their batting core.
Salman has done a fine job coming in the lower order and adding valuable runs. He is currently in the team because of the balance he brings with his bowling ability. However, with 16 wickets in 15 Tests at an average of 58.25, that role is not being fulfilled.
If Salman Ali Agha is dropped, Kamran Ghulam can slot in at No. 5 or 6, dropping Rizwan to No. 7, where he can hang around with the tail. This gives Pakistan room to play four frontline bowlers, with the combination set according to the conditions. Should that prove to be insufficient, the likes of Saim Ayub, Saud Shakeel, and Kamran Ghulam can chip in with the ball if and when required.
This approach gives Pakistan significant batting depth. Furthermore, Aamer Jamal has proven to be a reliable player with the bat down the order.
Potential batting order - Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel and Mohammed Rizwan.
#2 Shan Masood moves back to the top of the order; Ghulam plays at No. 3
The opening combination of Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique has not guided Pakistan to a solid start since their pairing. Moreover, Shan Masood has also not been the solid figure that Pakistan need at the crucial No. 3 position.
With Masood not being droppable as the skipper, and Ghulam showing the kind of grit that Pakistan need at No. 3, one of the openers might have to pave the way.
Shan Masood can move back to the top of the order. He has played 46 innings as an opener, albeit without much success, but he could turn things around with a second stint. He has scored 1304 runs at an average of 28.35, and last played as an opener the last time England toured Pakistan.
Kamran Ghulam has played at No. 3 in first-class cricket regularly, most recently when he led Pakistan A against Bangladesh A in August.
Potential batting order: Saim Ayub/Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood, Kamran Ghulam, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammed Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha.
#3 Play a bowler short and bank on part-timers
This high-risk approach involves dropping one frontline bowler, either a spinner or a pacer depending on the conditions. This approach gives a robust and deep batting order with Salman Ali Agha and perhaps Aamer Jamal (if included) coming in at No. 8 and 9, respectively.
However, this radical tactic will put a lot of responsibility on the part-time bowlers. Salman Ali Agha may even have to feature as the frontline option, while Saim Ayub, Saud Shakeel, and Kamran Ghulam have to pitch in as well.
The ongoing Test between England and Pakistan is the perfect example, where Pakistan are playing four spinners, including Salman Ali Agha. If they are met with similar circumstances in the future, in place of one of those spinners, Babar could be slotted in while the role of the 'fourth' spinner can be distributed among the part-timers.
Potential batting order: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammed Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha.