Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra questioned Sarfaraz Khan’s exclusion from the Indian Test squad for the upcoming tour of the West Indies. The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced the Test and ODI squads for the tour on Friday, June 23. Sarfaraz Khan’s exclusion from the squad has been criticised by many fans and experts.
In a video shared on his Youtube channel, Aakash Chopra expressed his disappointment over Sarfaraz Khan’s exclusion. The Mumbai batter has been very consistent in domestic cricket in the last few seasons. He has scored 3505 runs at an average of 79.65, with thirteen centuries and nine fifties. The right-handed batter is known for scoring daddy hundreds, with 301* as his highest score.
“What should Sarfaraz do? If you see the first-class runs for the last three years, if the guy was going head and shoulders above the rest and scoring a lot of runs everywhere, and if he is not selected, what message does it send? This is a question worth asking,” said Aakash Chopra.
“If there is something else that you or I don’t know, then I would say make it public, that you didn’t like this thing about Sarfaraz and because of which you are not considering him and you will be able to consider him going forward if he rectifies that. Is there anything like that – I or you don’t know,” he added.
If you don’t value runs in first-class cricket, it leaves a little sour taste in the mouth: Aakash Chopra
Former cricketer Aakash Chopra further expressed that Sarfaraz Khan should be made aware of the reasons why he has not been selected for the West Indies tour. He added that runs scored in first-class cricket should be valued by the selectors. In a video on his Youtube Channel, Aakash Chopra said,
“I don’t know if someone has called up Sarfaraz and told him about it but I am not aware. But if you don’t value runs in first-class cricket, it leaves a little sour taste in the mouth, whether it is the right thing.”
Mumbai youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal earned his maiden Test call-up for the West Indies tour. Along with him, Ruturaj Gaikwad has also been called up for the two-match Test series. Aakash Chopra expressed that while Ruturaj Gaikwad is a promising cricketer, Sarfaraz Khan should have been selected ahead of him. He said,
“I am very happy for Yashasvi. His runs are not only from the IPL, he has scored runs in first-class cricket as well. You can say the same thing about Ruturaj Gaikwad as well. He is promising and has scored runs in first-class cricket for a long time. But Sarfaraz Khan’s name not being there is definitely a topic of discussion.”
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