I think what a lot of people are missing here quoting x series win and y series loss is how teams and captains evolve over time. When judging captains you look at overall trend and whether as a whole the trajectory of the team is moving up or down.
When sarfaraz led the side to a CT win, Pakistan was ranked the bottom side, last to qualify, 8th out of 8. So credit to him for winning it. He followed it up with the whitewash of Sri Lanka, again, a team ranked higher when he took over. Neither wins made Pakistan the best team in the world overnight. New Zealand only confirmed the work that still needed to be done, the gulf that still existed. It is also pertinent to note the gap before the new zealand series in the calender, leaving Mickey frustrated at the poor fitness levels after the players returned from holiday. Something that has been rectified since. So has the team improved and learned from NZ? There are hints to suggest so. Hints like settling on an opening pair, dropping Hafeez for a late order smasher in Asif Ali. And increasing depth in the fast bowling reserves(shaheen!).
So Pakistan today ranks above Australia, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh in ODIs, teams that were ahead of Pakistan before Sarfaraz took over. Similarly Pakistan were ranked seventh in T20s in 2016, now ranked first in 2018. The direction is almost certainly upwards so denying him, mickey or inzi the credit would be a disservice to Pakistan cricket.
So what then about the test side? Which direction is that headed. The loss against Sri Lanka was almost certainly a massive blow. The first series post MisYou, and Pakistan lose their 7 year unbeaten streak in the UAE. But honest appraisals followed. Mickey confessing that going with three fast bowlers and a spinner in the series was a significant miscalculation on his part, a departure from Misbah's signature method of choking teams in the UAE. Will Sarfaraz and Mickey learn from that, you bet. The only other test series Sarfaraz has lead in was the recent tour to GB and Ireland, and that was far from a disaster.
So in conclusion, the direction under Sarfaraz as captain has for the most part been positive. Of course there will be bumps along the way, but I'm fairly content right now and optimistic for the most part, particularly given half the team is yet to reach their full potential individually. A similar evaluation of the direction and evolution the indian side under kohli from fellow commentators would be appreciated. Kohli too will learn and evolve i believe, but i am not in a position to evaluate where he stands as captain right now.
Congratulations!
