Masood reasserts opening claim

Shan Masood deflected the ball off the grille of his helmet on to his stumps in Abu Dhabi. He was bowled out again in the second innings, when the ball crept back on to his stumps off the toe of the bat. He seemed doomed to fail and was probably the batsman most likely to have been made to give way for a fit-again Azhar Ali.

But the unfortunate death of Azhar's mother-in-law ahead of the second Test helped Masood keep his place and he hit an uncharacteristic 54 to prove his worth. Previously, he had made his opportunity count after coming back into the Test side, scoring a fourth-innings century in Pakistan's record-breaking win over Sri Lanka in Pallekele.

He had made his case for the opening slot but the embarrassing circumstances of his dismissals in Abu Dhabi meant he needed to regain confidence once again. He did so within the first session in Dubai, during a classy 87-ball innings. He looked in good touch, despite being tested with some nasty bouncers, and slapped several boundaries as well as a blistering six off Moeen Ali.

He tended to shy away from Mark Wood's short ball but was aggressive against Stuart Broad, cracking four fours and scoring 18 off 17 balls. He faced only five deliveries from James Anderson, who dismissed him twice in Abu Dhabi, during the morning; however, he then edged the very first ball from Anderson right after lunch.  Still, he had some success against the seamers, reflecting his days in English cricket.

Masood was born in Kuwait but, displaced by the Gulf war in 1991, moved to the USA. He returned to his native city after a brief stay in the West but later enrolled in Stamford School in England, where he started his cricket. He scored 1237 runs for them during the 2009 season, not far off the schools cricket record set by England captain, Alastair Cook - also a left-handed opener - when he made 1287 for Bedford in 2003.

Masood's debut for Pakistan came in Abu Dhabi in 2013, amid a seemingly never-ending transition in the opening slot. He scored 75 against South Africa but was a victim of inconsistent selection. His inclusion had always been overshadowed by the fact his father was a PCB board member, along with his privileged background. Despite the doubts, he has proved himself as a promising opener for Pakistan and is among the fittest players in team. His contribution against England might not stand out on the scorecard but the fluency of his innings won many hearts and increased his chances of staying in the side for the third Test.

Pakistan's opening slots have been problematic but Masood's Pallekele innings gave a reason to believe in youth. The Test squad is relatively stable compared to the limited-overs teams but an opener has been missing from the jigsaw. Masood's contribution helped give a sense of stability. Pakistan's batting coach, Grant Flower, said recently: "If players are scoring runs they know they will stay in the side, but no one has the divine right to play for their country."

It is yet to be figured out how Azhar will fit back into the side after returning from mourning in Lahore. He was injured before the first Test, which provided an opportunity for Shoaib Malik - who hit a double hundred to mark his Test comeback. Now the competition is tight as the opening slot is still up for grabs. Pakistan's head coach, Waqar Younis, said it is a "good" problem to have.

"Shan, we know how talented he is," Younis said. "He is fit and his work ethic is outstanding. In Test line-up, we all know how difficult is to get into the side. To stay you have to keep performing and he came out positively and it's heartening to see him batting. I am very pleased that he got runs and the problem [of competition] is a good problem and I don't mind that."