The right-handed batter has featured in six Tests for India.
Competition is a double-edged sword. On one end, it ignites a competitive spirit ensuring the best talent comes through. But it might end up shattering the dreams or the potential of a cricketer. As for the Indian player Sarfaraz Khan, it is unfortunately more of the latter. Thus, former all-rounder Ravindran Ashwin didn’t hold back from speaking on the India A squad selection.
The competition to break into the Indian XI is too tight, with players performing well all around the year in various leagues. Sarfaraz Khan has been one of the most consistent performers in India’s domestic circuit. But the 28-year-old was not included in the India A squad recently.
The right-handed batter has had his problems in the recent past. After being sidelined from the Indian Premier League (IPL), he worked on his fitness. Along the way, he scored hefty runs in the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai and also shed a lot of weight recently. Despite all these efforts coupled with consistent performances, Sarfaraz has not found himself in the India A squad.
Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin expressed his opinions on the matter via his YouTube Channel, Ash ki Baat. He feels that this non-selection might be the end of Sarfaraz’s path to the national side.
Ashwin highlighted the lack of communication from the management’s end once again, stating that the board needs to be much more transparent with the players. The 39-year-old spinner highlighted players like Subramaniam Badrinath and Manoj Tiwary, who were also at the helm of the India A side a few years ago. However, their stint never transformed into them wearing the India cap consistently. Ashwin stated that the communication needs to be direct and not twisted.
“The problem is that your communication and selection should match. But if you look at the current India A side, there is a little bit of confusion. If you say we have seen enough of Sarfaraz in India A, and only if we need him will we pick him in the Indian side, then that will be wrong. Because you picked Abhimanyu Easwaran, and he has played enough for India A”, said Ashwin.
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When one speaks of fantastic numbers in the domestic circuit, one of the first names which will come to the minds of any cricket fan would be Sarfaraz Khan. Turning 28 years of age today, he has been a prolific run-getter in the domestic circuit and has piled up heaps of runs for Mumbai.
In 56 First-Class matches, Sarfaraz has piled up almost 4,800 runs at an average of 65.19, which is extremely impressive. To add to that, the right-handed batter has 16 hundreds and 15 fifties in the multi-day format. These statistics are often difficult to replicate in the same number of appearances.
Additionally, in six Test matches, Sarfaraz Khan has scored 371 runs with three fifties and a solitary ton, which came against New Zealand in Bengaluru. Despite doing everything to tick all the boxes for selection to the side, the right-hander has not been picked for the India A side, which is considered to be the second side after the senior team.
“When I examine Sarfaraz’s non-selection, I don’t receive any explanation. I am very sad and feel sorry for him. Had I been the selector, what would I have called him up and said?”, Ashwin added.
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