Despite his career First-Class average being second only to the legendary Don Bradman among batters with at least 2000 runs, Sarfaraz has been kept waiting for an opportunity.
The latest snub came with the announcement of the 16-member Test squad for the West Indies tour, attracting criticism from notable figures like Sunil Gavaskar. Finally, an official from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has broken the silence to shed light on the reasons behind Sarfaraz’s repeated exclusions.
Over the course of his last three Ranji Trophy seasons, Sarfaraz amassed an impressive 2566 runs. In the 2019/20 season, he scored 928 runs, followed by 982 runs in 2021/22, and 656 runs in the 2022/23 season.
These remarkable performances elevated his career First-Class average to 79.65, making him the best Indian batter and second only to Bradman (among those with a minimum of 50 innings) in 37 appearances. Consequently, the Indian cricket fraternity expressed their frustration as Sarfaraz was overlooked in favor of a player like Ruturaj Gaikwad, whose career average is just above 42.
An anonymous BCCI official, who is privy to the selection process, explained to PTI that Sarfaraz’s non-selection was influenced by off-field factors as well. One of the major concerns raised was his fitness.
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“The angry reactions are understandable, but I can tell you with some degree of certainty that the reason Sarfaraz has been consistently ignored is not solely based on cricketing reasons. There are multiple factors contributing to his non-selection,” said the official. “Are the selectors fools to not consider a player who has scored 900 plus runs in successive seasons? One of the reasons is his fitness, which does not meet international standards.”
The official also highlighted Sarfaraz’s “off-field conduct” as a significant factor that influenced the selectors’ decision, with his celebration after scoring a century against Delhi earlier this year in a Ranji game reportedly being scrutinized.
“His behavior on and off the field has not been exemplary. Certain things said, gestures made, and incidents have been taken note of. Adopting a more disciplined approach would be beneficial for him. Hopefully, Sarfaraz, along with his father and coach Naushad Khan, will work on these aspects,” added the senior official.
Regarding cricketing reasons, many speculated that Sarfaraz’s exclusion was due to his poor performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where his weakness against short balls was exposed. However, the BCCI official dismissed this claim and pointed out the selection of players like Mayank Agarwal and Hanuma Vihari.
“That’s a perception built by the media. Do you think there could be any cricketing reason? When Mayank Agarwal made his debut in the Indian Test team, he had scored 1000 first-class runs in one month. Did MSK Prasad’s committee consider his IPL credentials?
“The same goes for Hanuma Vihari, who came through domestic and A team ranks. If their IPL and white-ball records were not scrutinized then, why would SS Das’s committee reinvent the wheel now? The reason is not related to cricket,” clarified the official.