Ajit Agarkar, Gautam Gambhir Slammed For Constantly Ignoring Sarfaraz Khan: "Real Shame"
Sarfaraz Khan on Wednesday smashed 157 off 75 balls for Mumbai in their Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Goa in Jaipur.
Former India batter Dilip Vengsarkar has lashed out at the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee for repeatedly ignoring Sarfaraz Khan, despite the Mumbai batter's consistent performances in domestic cricket. Sarfaraz on Wednesday smashed 157 off 75 balls for Mumbai in their Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Goa in Jaipur. The 28-year-old's explosive innings included nine fours and 14 sixes, propelling Mumbai well past the 400-mark and leaving the Goa bowlers with no answers. Speaking to the Times of India (TOI), Vengsarkar expressed his surprise over the decision to leave out Sarfaraz from all formats, highlighting his contributions whenever given a chance by the selectors.
"You know, the thing is, it's really baffing for me that why he's not pick in any format for India, when he has done well so consistently, even for India also when he got an opportunity. I watched him and (Devdutt) Padikkal batting together against England in Dharamshala. It was a crucial session. They batted beautifully and forged together an important partnership, which ultimately helped India win the Test match," said Vengsarkar.
The 69-year-old also called out the team management for not giving Sarfaraz a single opportunity during the 2024/25 tour of Australia, calling the decision a "real shame."
"And after that (home series against England), he didn't get an opportunity (to play another Test). Of course, he was on the tour of Australia (the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy), but he wasn't given a chance at all.and that really baffles me, because he's a good enough player to play in all formats of the game. Such a talent has been ignored and neglected. It's a real shame!" the former India selector added.
In 2024, Sarfaraz made his debut in Tests under Rohit Sharma's leadership at home against England in February. Since then, he has made 371 runs in six Tests at an average of 37.10, striking at a healthy 74.94, with a century and three fifties in 11 innings and a best score of 150.
India Cricket Team