it's true riyad batting at #8 is a bit ridiculous, i mean a specialist bat batting at #8 in tests? (though i guess some argue he's an allrounder, but that is not my belief in the test format). but i'm still going to say for zia to make it he's going to have to make it as a specialist pacer, i know we don't really have any test quality pacers but rubel did alright in the last series, and although the others haven't done to well in tests they've put up a lot of quality domestic performances which is something zia hasn't really done to much, certainly not recently since he's reinvented himself more as a batsman.
if he can keep up these sort of bowling performances and if he plays in the shorter formats for the national team and does well with the ball then give him the go ahead in tests as a pacer. but i don't want to fall in a whole like we have before when players have been selected on the back of one good performance and turned out they weren't up to it.
also i think babu is an option to, as you said with zia, might not be ready yet, but an option nonetheless.
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