Sarfaraz Khan getting repeatedly overlooked by the Indian selectors has baffled some experts. Last week, the BCCI announced a 16-man squad for the upcoming Test series against West Indies and handed maiden call-ups to Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad. The team announcement raised quite a few eyebrows as Sarfaraz, who has been one of the most consistent batters in the domestic circuit, was snubbed once again.
Meanwhile, an unnamed BCCI insider told PTI that Sarfaraz Khan was not picked for West Indies Tests due to his fitness, which is not of international standards, and secondly, his off-field behaviour. However, former selector Saba Karim believes it may not be the reason behind the snub.
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Speaking to Sportskeeda, Karim pointed out that he hasn’t heard anything negative either from the Mumbai coach or from the management.
“I don’t believe in all that. I think that’s the work of the management and the coach to handle such cricketers if there is any issue like that, but having interacted with Sarfaraz at all, I don’t think there is an issue at all. If that is the issue, how come he has been playing regularly for Mumbai? [We have] not heard anything from the Mumbai coach or the captain or the management,” Saba Karim was quoted as saying.
“He has been playing regularly, he has been fit, he has played most of the matches, and he has played all format matches for Mumbai, as well as the Rest of India or zonal levels. And he has done well in all those matches. That, in my mind, cannot be the ground for non-selection,” he added.
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Sarfaraz scored 2566 runs in the last three Ranji seasons; 928 runs in the 2019/20 season, 982 in the 2022-23 and 656 in the 2022-23 season. He has a very impressive career average of 79.65 after 37 red ball games, so it was very surprising that he had to make way for someone like Ruturaj Gaikwad, whose career average is 42-plus.
The Mumbai batter is currently in Bangalore, training for West Zone’s game in the Duleep Trophy first semi-final. The game commences at the KSCA Cricket Ground in Alur from July 5.