Pakistan were always expected to triumph in their two-Test series against Australia. But the script had suggested they would do that on the back of their potent spin attack. Pakistan did win the Test series 1-0 but it was the 28-year-old pacer Mohammad Abbas, who was instrumental in the memorable 373-run victory in the second and final Test in Abu Dhabi last Friday.

Abbas took 17 wickets in the series including a match-winning ten-wicket haul in Abu Dhabi to become the key man for Pakistan in a contest which was supposed to be tailor-made for spin wizard Yasir Shah. The leggie didn’t ball badly but he had to move aside to allow Abbas, now widely regarded as the most lethal pacer in Test cricket, to take centre stage. In the series against Australia, Abbas was so good that even Dale Steyn, the man he is tipped to replace as the number one pacer in the world, announced "I see a new number 1 Test bowler coming… Mohammad Abbas".

In Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Abbas averaged just 10.58 in his tally of 17 wickets. It’s the best for any Pakistan bowler in a series with 15 or more wickets. Mohammad Asif’s 10.76 was Pakistan’s previous best in an away series against Sri Lanka in 2006. Abbas’s average is also the best by any fast bowler in a series against Australia in the last 100 years. The career average of the pacer from the village of Jathekey, near Sialkot, is just 15.64, the best for any bower with 50-plus wickets in the last 100 years and fourth-best overall.

The meteoric rise of Abbas, who made his Test debut against the West Indies last year, is great news for Pakistan cricket. In the lead up to the series against Australia, Pakistan’s pace attack was beginning to look toothless. Things were seemingly so bleak that the selectors had to even turn to the spent force of Wahab Riaz to fill in the ranks.

The biggest setback for Pakistan was Mohammad Amir, who has mostly been off colour since his return to international cricket. Amir flopped miserably in last month’s Asia Cup. Hasan Ali is also losing the sort of sting that made him a sensational pacer. Junaid Khan spends more time on the sidelines than on the field. But with his heroics in the UAE, Abbas has changed everything. Now, Pakistan can look forward to big contests like the forthcoming series in South Africa. They can even think about the possibility of drafting Abbas in their one-day line-up. The pacer can be an asset for Pakistan in England next summer when the World Cup will take place there.

However, Abbas’s success shouldn’t hide Pakistan’s weaknesses. They won the series 1-0. That could have easily been 2-0 had Pakistan not allowed Australia to earn a draw from a seemingly losing position in Dubai. Pakistan will need to do much better against New Zealand, their next opponents in the UAE. The Black Caps are a much better team than the present day Australian side and can make Pakistan pay for their mistakes.

In Dubai, Sarfraz Ahmad was heavily criticised for his failure to lead his troops to victory. The Pakistan captain was already under immense pressure in the lead up to the series against Australia as he and his team had miserably failed in the six-nation Asia Cup where they lost twice against India and also fell to Bangladesh. As captain and as senior batsman, Sarfraz had been unable to deliver in the Asia Cup and his sorry plight continued in the Dubai Test.

There were calls to sack him and though the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had thrown its weight behind the under-fire skipper, it was quite evident that Sarfraz needed to get his act together. Since his salad days as a cricketer, Sarfraz has been a fighter. But for months that fighting spirit seemed to be missing. It was in Abu Dhabi that Sarfraz was back in his element. The timing couldn’t have been any better. After electing to bat at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, Pakistan were reduced to 57-5 by a rampaging Nathan Lyon. From there, Sarfraz rescued Pakistan along with debutant opener Fakhar Zaman. The two were involved in a 147-run stand for the sixth wicket, a big turning point in the match which concluded on the fourth day with a 373-run victory for Pakistan. With scores of 94 and 81, Sarfraz has not only silenced his critics but has also bolstered Pakistan’s middle-order. Sarfraz’s return to form is a big boost for Pakistan in the aftermath of the Asia Cup debacle.

Meanwhile, Abbas received a hero’s welcome when he returned home yesterday. Dozens of fans had gathered at the Sialkot airport to receive the rising star of Pakistan cricket. Abbas thanked them for their support and then announced that he would continue working hard. One hopes that spotlight won’t distract the man, who can help Pakistan rise in international cricket. When it comes to pace, he is the best thing to happen to Pakistan cricket since the days of Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif. The Amir-Asif duo were supposed to emulate the legendary Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. But they fell prey to greed. Abbas should be different. Asif and Amir turned out to be big disappointments. If Abbas keeps his eyes on the ball, I’m sure he would go on to become a legend.