Sarfaraz Khan Excluded Because of On & Off-Field Conduct: BCCI Official

Indian cricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar recently criticised the exclusion of Sarfaraz Khan from the Indian team. Sarfaraz has scored 2566 runs in the last three Ranji seasons with an excellent average of nearly 80, which has left Gavaskar and other experts wondering why he still hasn’t been included in India’s squad. However, in a conversation with PTI, a BCCI official anonymously answered these questions in great detail. They highlighted Khan’s questionable behaviour on and off the field to be among the biggest reasons behind his exclusion, along with his physical fitness.

The official said, “The angry reactions are understandable, but I can tell you with some degree of certainty that the reason behind Sarfaraz getting ignored time and again is not just a cricketing one. There are multiple reasons for which he hasn’t been considered.” They further added, “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. 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.”

They also cited that India has several options that are looking better, such as Suryakumar Yadav, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Sarfaraz Khan will thus have to wait longer than expected to be considered a viable option in the test or one-day format team.

Image source: PTI