Pakistan completed a T20I series win over South African last night with a spirited chase of a relatively steep target, ending a successful home campaign against the visitors.

2-0 in Tests and 2-1 in T20Is - not a bad first full series as captain for Babar Azam.

Despite a victorious series, there are people worried about Babar's captaincy and form.

But I am not really sure why.

At the end of the day, the only thing judgments on Babar should be based on, are results.

And results for Pakistan under Babar's captaincy are exemplary!

It may not be his technical ability that has resulted in all these wins for Pakistan, but something seems to be working.

Maybe the players are responding well to him, maybe he is a lucky captain, maybe it is his decision making.

It really doesn't matter if the end result is a win for Pakistan!

His batting form has also been questioned and I get that he just completed a Test series without a century and a T20I series without a fifty.

But he did score 77 in the second test that helped steer Pakistan out of trouble. And he did score 44 off 30 in the third T20I that set up Pakistan's successful run chase and series win.

And in his first ODI series as captain, Babar smashed a 125 and a 77.

I think Pakistan's captaincy is in fine hands and the results show that too. This is just the start, and the future looks promising with Babar at the helm. Give him some time, and then make your judgment calls.

This was Pakistan's second test series victory over South Africa, and their first since 2003!

And what a sweet victory it was!

Pakistani pacers ripping through batting line ups is something I grew up with.

When the ball would grow old, the opposition batsmen would collapse in a heap in no time.

The only difference in Rawal Pindi was that it wasn't the old ball but the new one that created the magic.

As soon as Babar Azam took the new ball, Hasan Ali and Shaheeh Afridi struck gold and South Africa lost their last 7 wickets for 33 runs in 10 overs, resulting in a 95 run win for Pakistan.

Before the new ball came into play, South Africa required a mere 129 runs with 7 wickets in hand. After the West Indies' win over Bangladesh a couple of days back and India's heist at the Gabba last month, it seemed like the South Africans were inspired to make another big successful run chase.

But the resurgent Hasan Ali had other ideas.

For Pakistan, this win means a lot.

After a crushing defeat to New Zealand, two long years without a test win against a top side, without much test cricket at home in over a decade, this test and series win will go a long way in establishing Pakistan's dominance at home once again.

Not many people realize this but Pakistan has the best record at home among all Test playing nations.

Yes, better than India's, better than Australia's, better than ALL other teams.

 It has been a while. 

A while since I last wrote, a while for Fawad Alam being out of the Pakistan team, a while since Pakistan won a Test match against a top side.

That while is over. 

Fawad Alam is back. Pakistan have just beaten South Africa in a test match, and I am writing again!

It is no secret that I am a huge supported of Fawad Alam. Anyone who has followed Well Pitched over the years would have read my calls for Fawad to be a part of Pakistan's international set up. You can go down memory lane here.

It took Fawad Alam 10 years and 9 months to play another test match for Pakistan since his last one in November 2009 in Dunedin, New Zealand.

For someone who scored a mammoth ton - 168 - on test debut to be dropped after just two more test appearances was injustice of the highest order.

No one really knows why he was dropped, nor why he was kept on the sidelines for over a decade.

A decade where he was among the top scorers in domestic cricket year after year.

His first class average of 56.4 is the highest in Pakistan. Highest ever in the 73-year history of Pakistan mind you. 

Yet he remained ignored by all selectors.

His comeback in England last summer was not ideal. Dismissed for a duck in his first test innings for almost 11 years!

He scored 21 in the next test in England and then must have wondered if he will ever don the whites again for Pakistan.

But he did.

He flew to New Zealand with the team and in the first test almost saved the match for Pakistan with a fighting century.

A test hundred in the same land were he played his last test knock and failed in 2009.

That knock of 102 is a redemption story for the ages.

Fawad Alam was back!

He ended the tour as the only batsman from Pakistan to score a test hundred.

Sure he did not end up saving the test for Pakistan, but that is no reason why we should not celebrate that knock.

As always, for the harshest critics it is never enough.

So let us turn our attention to a month later in Karachi. Fawad Alam's homeground.

Having dismissed South Africa for 220, Pakistan were reeling at 27-4 when Fawad Alam walked to the crease near the end of the first day.

He first steered Pakistan out of trouble by forging a 94 run partnership with Azhar Ali.

Then he helped Pakistan inch closer towards South Africa's total with a 55 run partnership with captain Mohammad Rizwan.

And then he ensured Pakistan not only gets there but also builds its lead over South Africa, with a 102 run partnership with Faheem Ashraf.

Fawad knocked his third test century in the process in only his 8th test match.

On a pitch where all the South African batsmen and most of Pakistan's batsmen struggled, Fawad Alam marched on as the only centurion of the test.

That 10 year wait has been worth it. For Fawad, as well as, for all his supporters.

He still has a lot of cricket and lot of test centuries left in him, which we will get to see as long as he isn't brushed aside due to politics again.