As the dust settles on Pakistan’s ODI series win over West Indies in the UAE, we think it’s time for some reflection.
There were some big positives for the home side and equally big negatives for the tourists but Pakistan being Pakistan they are still not entirely happy with their victory.
Here, we highlight some of the major takeaways from the series.
What do you make of the three matches and our five talking points? Have your say by commenting below, using #360fans on Twitter or getting in touch via Facebook.
BABAR IS PAKISTAN’S BRIGHTEST STAR
In our look back at the T20I series, we mentioned that Babar Azam had answered Pakistan’s problems at number three in the shortest format; in this series he showed his class once again.
His three centuries on the bounce were each a joy to behold, Babar proving there is a place for players looking to anchor an innings, especially in UAE conditions.
He scored runs all round the wicket, rotated the strike at will and either found or cleared boundaries with ease once he looked to up the ante later on in the innings.
With Babar’s mindset and ability to adapt to each format, he could be some player for Pakistan across T20Is, ODIs and Tests.
At 21, he not only has plenty of time to improve [a scary thought for opposition teams], but he can also make his place in the Pakistan setup his own.
That should come as huge relief for Pakistan cricket, which has been searching for an heir to lynchpins Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq for what feels like an eternity.
In Babar, they may have found their prodigal son.
WEST INDIES ARE IN FREEFALL
Ahead of this tour of the UAE, many would have thought West Indies would find some success in either the T20Is or ODIs but they have been obliterated by Pakistan.
The sacking of coach Phil Simmons has obviously had a detrimental effect, their team utterly rudderless and cutting disinterested figures in every outing.
The players’ efforts haven’t been good enough here but the crux of the issue is that their cricket is riddled with politics. The players’ options are to either side with the powers that be and don’t mention the issues in order to continue playing or speak out and face international exile.
That doesn’t breed the best culture within a camp that has so often united in the face of adversity but hasn’t been able to do so here.
Dwayne Bravo said the team looked “lost” during the T20Is, an assessment obvious to anyone that has followed their time in the UAE thus far. They need new direction, they need change at the top but, unfortunately, we’ve been saying that for quite some time without anything being done.
At this point in time, the only loser is West Indies cricket, which is currently plumbing new depths.
Having watched every game of #PAKvWI so far, I agree with every word Dwayne Bravo has said. Looking "lost" and "just there" fair assessment.
— Barny Read (@BarnabyRead) October 4, 2016
AZHAR CAN’T DO ANYTHING RIGHT
It seems the calls for Azhar Ali’s head will only die out once he is given the boot or gives up the role.
He struggled with the bat in the first two ODIs, even drawing cheers from a section of Sharjah supporters when he was dismissed for nine in the second match.
A perfect response came in Abu Dhabi as he registered his first ODI century of the series [and first since May 2015] but you get the impression that anything he does right now will not be good enough unless it’s him quitting the captaincy.
For someone who has just won all three matches of this series with a new brand of cricket that has reinvigorated their bid for automatic 2019 World Cup qualification, his position should be more secure than ever before.
Azhar, so integral to their Test set-up, has overseen Pakistan’s radical change in one-day cricket under Mickey Arthur and alongside T20 captain Sarfraz Ahmed but is still personally berated.
It all makes for an odd situation. But, this is Pakistan cricket and oddities are somewhat of a staple diet. There is a great case to be made for Sarfraz but the PCB is sticking by Azhar and that should be enough.
One hopes the negativity and pressure will not have an adverse affect on his form and that Pakistan fans will now rally behind their captain, but in all likelihood this will end in a messy separation further down the line.
*You doubted me, here is my reply* -- @AzharAli_ with a brilliant 100!#PAKvWI #RoaringForVictory pic.twitter.com/KJnUpeZpdJ
— Islamabad United (@IsbUnited) October 5, 2016
PAKISTAN NEED DEATH HITTERS
Throughout this tour, Pakistan have had no problem setting up their innings with the manoeuvring of fields, ticking the scoreboard over and clinically putting away the bad balls.
But for all their ability to get them in strong positions with 10 overs left to go, they still lack devastating power hitters who can turn a 280-320 run total into 350-400.
Here in the UAE, and against lacklustre opposition such as the West Indies, the lower totals have been too much for the tourists but against the likes of England, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand these scores now look well below par.
Sarfraz added the only lower-order impetus of the series in the second ODI but Mohammad Rizwan will need to start going big if he’s to continue to keep Umar Akmal out of the side.
Imad Wasim looks a very good batsman, as does Mohammad Nawaz, but the jury is well and truly still out on whether they can hit balls into the stands in the death overs with any kind of regularity.
If Pakistan add this to their side then the sky is the limit for this team.
3 4s since 36.1 overs to finish the innings. #pakvwi
— Osman Samiuddin (@OsmanSamiuddin) October 5, 2016
SUNIL NARINE IS NOT THE SAME BOWLER
At the time Narine was banned by the ICC for an illegal bowling action he was the number one bowler in the world in both ODIs and T20Is.
Since that ban in November last year he has taken 15 wickets in 10 ODIs, boosted by six in his first game back against South Africa and a record better than his 10 matches prior to the ban where he took 12 wickets.
However, in his five subsequent T20Is he has gone wicketless.
They are remarkably contrasting stats and do not tell the whole story as one look at Narine on this tour will tell you he has not looked anywhere near as threatening as he did pre-ICC ban.
He has taken to bowling under-cutters here in the UAE, releasing the ball almost as a leg-spinner but without any kind of success or genuine threat.
Kudos must go to the off-spinner for remodelling his action but, as has been the case with Pakistan supremo Saeed Ajmal, he isn’t as frightening when bowling within the ICC’s 15-degree limit.
It poses all kinds of questions about the governing body’s regulations of the straightening of spinners’ arms [particularly offies], especially when considering how much it has hindered two highly successful exponents of the art.
In the meantime, Narine must find other ways to extract greater turn both ways with the subtle variations that saw him shoot to number one in the world.
Unfortunately, with his straightened action that just doesn’t look like happening.
