‘If you don’t value first-class runs…’ – Former India opener lashes out at Indian selectors over Sarfaraz Khan snub in Test squad

The Indian Cricket Board released the Test and the ODI squads for the forthcoming tour of the West Indies and the USA. After a short off-season following a heartbreaking defeat in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23 Final against Australia, Team India will play a multi-format tour against the Caribbeans. The tour includes two Tests, three ODIs, and five T20Is.

Speaking of the squads released on Friday, June 23, a series of surprise omissions was the talk of the town. Notably, players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad were included in the list but the domestic star who is head and shoulders ahead of everyone in terms of statistics, Sarfaraz Khan, found no place, sparking a debate among fans and pundits alike.

‘If there’s some other reason, [for Sarfaraz’s exclusion] make it public’ – Aakash Chopra

Speaking about the same, former India opener, Aakash Chopra was in a no-nonsense mood as the 45-year-old lashed out at the Indian selectors on his YouTube channel. He said, “What should Sarfaraz do? If you look at his numbers in the past 3 years, he’s head and shoulders above the rest. He’s scored everywhere. Even then, if he’s not selected… what message does it send?”

“This is a question worth asking. If there’s some other reason, something which you and I don’t know, make it public. Just say it that you didn’t like that particular thing about Sarfaraz, and that’s why you’re not considering him. But we don’t know if there’s something like that. I don’t know if someone told Sarfaraz about that. If you don’t value first-class runs, it leaves a sour taste in the mouth,” said the former India opener.

Notably, performances in the recently concluded Indian Premier League season seem to have had an impact while making the selections. The likes of Jaiswal and Gaikwad had successful seasons with their respective franchises whereas Sarfaraz Khan flopped for the Delhi Capitals. He could only conjure four chances, scoring 53 runs with the highest score of 30. However, the performance of a seasoned red-ball Cricketer must not be a determinant in Test selection. Talking of Sarfaraz’s domestic season, the Mumbai batter set the stage on fire with 3505 runs in 27 First Class matches at an average of 79.65 with 13 centuries.