Babar Azam and Shan Masood shine amid gloom for Pakistan
Five takeaways from Pakistan's heavy defeat at the hands of South Africa
It isn't so much the clean sweep that should trouble Pakistan fans. Better teams than this one have gone to South Africa and come back empty-handed. Indeed, the last touring party from Pakistan returned with the same result, including the ignominy of being shot out for 49 in the opening game and, in Mohammad Hafeez against Dale Steyn, providing us with one of cricket's classic mismatches.
With 77, 74 and 70 runs in each game respectively, Babar Azam was Pakistan's second-most prolific batsmen. What there is little doubt about, however, is he's the country's best batsman in each format, with the series he had here in South Africa further vindication of that. Just months ago derided as a limited-overs player, he has shaken off the label comprehensively since the start of Pakistan's home season. He ended 2018 with the third highest Test average for the year for players who scored over 500 runs, behind only Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls.
Remember that book you gave up on because the first chapter was rather dull, or that TV series you never got around to watching ever since the first 10 minutes bored your pants off? You packed them along in your suitcase just in case you had absolutely nothing else to do, and because people had started to tell you they weren't all that bad after all.
Perhaps this one's premature, or maybe he's still recovering from what was a particularly nasty right shoulder injury. But ever since that outrageously glorious series against Australia in October, Mohammad Abbas has struggled to replicate the magic. In four Tests that followed, he's managed 7 wickets at an average of 46.00 per scalp, a far cry from the 15.64 he averaged at the end of the Australia series. That he would never be able to keep up those otherworldly numbers we should have known, but the mouth-watering prospect of Abbas playing the Vernon Philander role for Pakistan in South Africa didn't quite materialise. He is, after all, still just 14 Tests into his career, but Pakistan will hope the lack of rhythm is down to injury rather than a permanent dip.
His legspin is so skilful it is easy to forget how consistent Shadab Khan has been with the bat, especially in the longest format. His absence in the first two Tests due to injury prevented Pakistan from fielding a combination that included five bowlers. He did play the Johannesburg Test, the only one where Pakistan had five bowlers at their disposal, and the only one where they took all 20 opposition wickets. While his bowling will surely continue to come along in leaps and bounds - Shadab is still only 20 - he has also been one of the most consistent Pakistan batsmen whenever given the opportunity.
Danyal Rasool is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @Danny61000