Sarfaraz's comeback was grand and great.

AFTER getting a chance purely on the basis of his sustained performance on the domestic circuit, Sarfaraz Ahmed made the most of the opportunity and silenced his critics who had even suggested that his days in international cricket were practically over. The Man of the Series award against the visiting New Zealand side was a fitting response from a thorough professional who allowed his actions, rather than words, to do the talking.

The crushing defeat against England in the recent Test series on home soil had raised many questions regarding selection and other affairs in the national team management. And it was appropriate that a few steps were taken urgently to halt the slide.

The defeat against England was embarrassing as it was the first time that Pakistan got whitewashed in a home series by England in almost 70 years of bilateral cricketing ties.

Even otherwise, the national team's performance during 2022 was less than optimal in across all formats, including one-day internationals (ODIs) and T20. Babar Azam, the great batsman that he is beyond doubt or debate, struggled with the captaincy and that reflected in the team's performance throughout the year.

It is not too far-fetched...