Star India batter Sarfaraz Khan was one of the notable omissions when the BCCI selectors announced the Indian cricket team for the England Tour. He is considered among the best in domestic cricket. He also scored a solid 150 for India against New Zealand last year as well. After that series, he did not get a single game in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Although not part of the main squad, Sarfaraz Khan was picked for India A and scored 92 in Canterbury. And, former India opener Aakash Chopra said, Sarfaraz deserved more chances as well.
“Sarfaraz Khan hasn’t done anything wrong thus far. In fact, he hasn’t done anything wrong till now. The one match he played, he scored 90-plus runs. He couldn’t score a hundred, but he scored runs. After that, you didn’t play him in the next match, and he is not part of the Test team,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“He hasn’t failed in England, Australia and South Africa thus far, but you haven’t given him a chance. It is not a good story. I can understand if you don’t have confidence in his technique or playing style, that he might not be able to score runs there, then you have to take a call. Then don’t send him with India A also. because you have a pre-conceived notion,” he again shared.
ALSO READ: “I did get a couple of hints” – AB de Villiers on Virat Kohli’s Test retirement
Aakash Chopra also argued that it is justified for Sarfaraz Khan to feel bad after repetitive snub as well.
“If you think he can make runs, and that’s why he has been picked for the India A squad, then play him in the India Test team too. What wrong has he done. He made a ton in Bengaluru. Then he failed in two matches, but no one else scored in those matches. He did not even play a single match in Australia, in fact he was not even part of the conversation. So, in such a scenario, one might think that something wrong is happening with him. What has he done wrong? Maybe, absolutely nothing. But he is not getting a place in the XI. in fact he is not in the scheme of things, which is a little sad, if your name is Sarfaraz Khan,” he again said.
Earlier, Karun Nair, who was handed a Test call-up after eight long years on the back of stunning shows in domestic cricket, was backed by BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar, and he was picked ahead of Sarfaraz Khan as well.
“Sometimes you just have to make good decisions. Sarfaraz, I know he got a 100 in the first Test (vs New Zealand) and then didn’t get runs. Sometimes it’s decisions the team management takes. Whether it’s fair on somebody or unfair on someone, those are the choices that you make in the best interest of the team,” Agarkar said.
