Sarfaraz Khan’s remarkable debut Test performance against England’s spinners wasn’t luck but the result of relentless dedication spanning over 15 years. Under the vigilant guidance of his father Naushad Khan, he diligently faced 500 deliveries daily, a testament to his unwavering commitment.
Displaying confidence, he notched up two solid half-centuries in his debut Test in Rajkot, solidifying his position in the Indian team. Despite his age of 26, his journey to earning a Test cap involved years of perseverance in domestic cricket and refining his skills at his father’s ‘Macho Cricket Club’.
The meticulous planning and hard work during the challenging times of the COVID-19 lockdowns bore fruit as he effortlessly tackled the likes of Tom Hartley, Joe Root, and Rehan Ahmed in Rajkot. His adeptness in manoeuvring spinners is a product of arduous skill development.
Sarfaraz Khan said: “It has taken playing 500 deliveries per day from off, leg and left-arm spinners across Oval, Cross and Azad Maidans in Mumbai,” said a coach who has seen the Mumbaikar’s growth from close quarters. “…during (COVID) lockdown, he undertook a car journey covering 1600km. From Mumbai to Amroha, Moradabad, Meerut, Kanpur, Mathura and Dehradun, he travelled and played on proverbial ‘akhadas’ where the ball turns square with one shooting up and few staying down.”
While Naushad deserves credit, other mentors such as Sanjay Rastogi, Badruddin Sheikh, Kapil Deo Pandey, Sanjay Bhardwaj, and RP Easwaran, who contributed to the development of players like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Gautam Gambhir, and Abhimanyu Easwaran respectively, also played their part in shaping Sarfaraz into a polished cricketer.
During the COVID lockdown, they collectively organized practice sessions for Sarfaraz, specifically focusing on facing spin bowlers.
Kapil Pandey said: “During lockdown, Naushad called me as we are both from Azamgarh and we played club cricket in Mumbai when I was employed with the Indian Navy. So, when he wanted his son to get practice, I felt it’s my duty.”
“During lockdown, Sarfaraz played Kuldeep a lot at our Kanpur Academy. They did lot of net sessions together. I would arrange T20 matches as that season, Mushtaq Ali T20 was main tournament. Having grown up playing on Mumbai’s red soil, Sarfaraz has the perfect game against spin and uses his feet well.”
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.