The ODI and Test squads for the upcoming West Indies tour were recently announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Team India are scheduled to play the two-time ODI World Cup champions in a multi-format series that includes two tests, three ODIs and five T20Is which is scheduled to begin from July 12.
Sarfaraz was once again absent from the team when the BCCI announced the Test squad for the tour. The 25-year-old has been one of the most important players in domestic cricket and one of the highest run scorers while playing at the top of his game in first-class cricket.
However, his omission from the Test squad infuriated many fans, who took to social media to blast the selectors for once again ignoring the batter’s performances. Following the fans’ comments, a BCCI official recently spoke out about why Sarfaraz continues to be left out of the Test squad.
“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, 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,”
the BCCI official was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.
Furthermore, the BCCI official reflected on the Indian batter’s on- and off-field behaviour and advised him to be more disciplined, as it could do him good.
“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 official said.
In his last three Ranji Trophy seasons, Sarfaraz scored 2566 runs. In the 2019/20 season, 928 runs were scored, 982 in the 2022-23 season, and 656 in the 2022-23 season.
His hat-trick of sensational Ranji seasons increased his career First Class average to 79.65, the highest of any Indian batter and second only to Bradman (minimum 50 innings in 37 appearances).
As a result, the Indian cricket community was outraged when Sarfaraz was forced to make way for a batter like Ruturaj Gaikwad, whose career average is just over 42.
