Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan has scored tons of runs in domestic cricket, especially in Ranji Trophy tournament over the last three season. However, the Mumbaikar has still not found a place in the Indian Test squad for the two-match series against West Indies next month while Maharashtra and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opener Ruturaj Gaikwad has earned a call-up.
On Sunday, Sarafaraz Khan tried to hit back at the Indian selectors by sharing his domestic numbers on his social media account. The Mumbai batter scored 2566 runs in the last three Ranji seasons. He scored 928 runs in the 2019/20 season, 982 in the 2022-23 and 656 in the 2022-23 season.
However, a former India selector revealed to Hindustan Times that Sarfaraz Khan was exposed against top class fast bowling in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season. In IPL 2023, Sarfaraz only played in 4 matches for the Delhi Capitals, scoring 53 runs with a top-score of 30 with an average of 13.25 and strike-rate of 85.48. Overall, in IPL, Sarfaraz only has 585 runs in 50 matches with just 1 fifty to his name.
“Sarfaraz Khan getting completely exposed against quick bowlers in IPL or Abhimanyu Easwaran not scoring for Bengal in seven consecutive Ranji knock-out games (three quarter-finals, two semi-finals and two finals) also is taken into account. It is not just about how many runs you score but also how you score them that matters,” a former selector was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
The 25-year-old has a very impressive career average in domestic of 79.65 after 37 red ball games, so it was very surprising that the two-time former India U-19 World Cup player had to make way for someone like Ruturaj Gaikwad, whose career average is 42-plus.
“The angry reactions are understandable but I can tell you with some degree of certainty that the reason behind Sarfaraz getting ignored time and again is not just cricketing one. There are multiple reasons for which he hasn’t been considered,” a BCCI official privy to selection developments told PTI news agency on conditions of anonymity.
“Are the selectors fools to not consider a player who has scored 900 plus runs in successive seasons? One of the reason is his fitness which isn’t exactly of international standard. He has to work hard, maybe shed weight and comeback leaner and fitter as it’s not just batting fitness that is sole criteria for selection,” the source added.
According to the BCCI official, fitness is not the only reason for his non-selection. “His conduct on and off the field hasn’t exactly been top notch. Certain things said, certain gestures made and some incidents have been taken note of. A bit more disciplined approach would only do him a world of good. Hopefully, Sarfaraz along with his father and coach Naushad Khan will work on those aspects,” the senior official added.
WATCH Sarfaraz Khan’s aggressive celebration against former selector Chetan Sharma HERE…
Sarfaraz Khan’s aggressive celebration of pointing towards selector Chetan Sharma who was watching the Ranji match from stands didn’t go down well. #SarfarazKhan #BCCI pic.twitter.com/qIZqgAEIi7
— Cricket Videos _ (@Abdullah__Neaz) June 25, 2023
Reportedly, Sarfaraz’s celebrations after his hundred against Delhi in a Ranji Trophy earlier this year, didn’t go down well. Sarfaraz was seen pointing a finger at national selector from West Zone, former Mumbai all-rounder Salil Ankola after scoring the hundred.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra questioned what should Sarfaraz Khan do to get selected. “What should Sarfaraz do? If you see the first-class runs for the last three years, if the guy was going head and shoulders above the rest and scoring a lot of runs everywhere, and if he is not selected, what message does it send? This is a question worth asking,” Chopra asked in a video on his YouTube channel.
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