/mazaplay/media/agency_attachments/EqX62rkwonI9tRKyXUEH.png)
Follow Us/mazaplay/media/post_banners/Ue9J2Xwo2m6OMcWFeZm3.jpg)
Team India released their squad earlier this week for the two-match Test series and three-match ODI series against the West Indies which is set to take place on Caribbean soil in July. Although the likes of Yashaswi Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar, and Ruturaj Gaikwad were chosen for the Test team, Sarfaraz Khan, who has been prolific in the domestic circuit, was not given a place in the squad. Despite being in impressive for about three years, Sarfaraz's rejection from the India Test squad baffled many former cricket fans and analysts.
After the World Test Championship loss, the fans as well as former players have been vouching for some major changes in the longest format of the game as India’s middle order have continuously been letting the team down. The announced team certainly gave glimpses of change as Cheteshwar Pujara was dropped from the team and also Ajinkya Rahane was made the vice-captain of the Test team.
Now a recent development came from an official from the Indian cricket board who told PTI that Sarfaraz's exclusion from the squad was significant due to his fitness concerns as well as the way the 25-year-old conducts himself on and off the pitch. This news certainly has ignited a sense of fire in the minds of fans as the fans don’t seem too happy with the reasoning that the official has given on Khan’s exclusion. Here are some of the tweets;
Seedha bol do nahi khelana... Faltu ke reasons kyu dene
— Shubham Shrivastav (@shubhshr28) June 26, 2023
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 25, 2023
Sarfaraz Khan, he performed well in domestic matches, so far undoubted performance. But playing in international matches he should be very very fit and meet the criteria of fitness standards. I am sure that BCCI senior selection committee is 💯 % monitoring him. when he is fit…
— Arvind Raghava (@ArvindRaghava5) June 25, 2023
What about Kohli’s tantrums in the field and Rohit Sharma’s fitness? These BCCI guys just want to give reasons for including failures like Rahane in the team. A middle order batsman who is averaging less than 40 is playing for so long. Every oldie batsman in the team should be…
— Bishwajeet Mahato (@mahato99) June 25, 2023
Well if someone becomes very aggressive and literally points (this wasnt pointing, if you see the video, he was kind of challenging) his finger at his superiors, in any profession, they will fall out of favor...
— Ramkrishna Iyer (@KannanK51531500) June 26, 2023
Form may be on his side, but he needs to be cautious how he…
Who’s the BCCI official ?… if fitness is mandatory then it should be applied at all levels….. you can just add it as a criteria at the international level
— Senthilkumar (@senthilkumar07) June 25, 2023
What abt Captain??
— Proud भारतीय 🇮🇳 (@irahulchitti) June 25, 2023
That doesn’t even make sense to not give someone a chance for West Indies tour. Fitness well some people do better job at boundary and some in sleep or a forward short leg where it is more about reflexes.
— Chef Meghna Kamdar 🇮🇳 (@MeghnaFoodMagic) June 26, 2023
The official advised Khan to work on his fitness and get leaner so that the can be considered for the team’s selection as well as the official also went on to point out that the 25-year-old batter’s discipline which needs serious looked after.
“He has to work hard, maybe shed weight and comeback leaner and fitter as it’s not just batting fitness that is the sole criteria for 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,” a senior official said.
In the 2022–23 Ranji Trophy season, Sarfaraz scored 556 runs in six games at an average of 92.66 which also comprised three centuries. He also scored 982 runs for an average of 122.75 during the 2021–22 Ranji Trophy season.