‘You’ve got four opening batters’- Sunil Gavaskar bashes Indian Cricket Board for not selecting Sarfaraz Khan for West Indies tour
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Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar has blasted the All-India Senior Selection Committee for excluding Sarfaraz Khan from the upcoming West Indies series. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal, both made it to the Test squad. Gavaskar questioned the logic of having the Ranji Trophy if success in the country’s main domestic event is not taken into account when selecting the Indian red-ball teams instead of using the players’ record in the IPL.
The 25-year-old batter has scored 928 runs at an average of 154 in the 2019-20 season, the second-highest in tournament history. In the 2021-22 Ranji season, he scored 982 runs at an average of 122.75, including four hundred. Sarfaraz earned 556 runs in six games at an average of 92.66 in the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy, scoring three hundred. Sarfaraz has scored 3,505 runs at an average of 79.65 in 37 first-class matches, including 13 centuries.
He might not be in the XI, but you pick him in the team: Sunil Gavaskar
The former Indian skipper said, “Sarfaraz Khan has been scoring at an average of 100 in all past three seasons. What does he have to do to be picked in the squad? He might not be in the XI, but you pick him in the team.” “Tell him that his performances are being recognized. Otherwise, stop playing Ranji Trophy. Say, it’s of no use, you just play IPL and think you are good enough for the red-ball game as well.”
He has also raised the concern of picking four openers in a test series, he said, “You’ve got four opening batters for two Test matches. This is not the old West Indies fast-bowling attack where you needed six openers.”
Despite these brilliant stats, he is yet to receive a Test call-up. He has amassed runs in first-class cricket for pleasure over the previous three seasons, the Mumbai right-hander has been overlooked by the selectors on several occasions. The most recent is the forthcoming West Indian series. The Mumbai-based batter did not make India‘s 16-man team for the two-match series which begins on July 12.
