Sarfaraz Khan’s maiden Test century against New Zealand reignites discussions on selection criteria, with Sunil Gavaskar criticizing the focus on fitness standards amid calls for his inclusion in the national team.
New Delhi: After Sarfaraz Khan scored his maiden Test century against New Zealand, his performance sparked renewed discussions about the selection criteria for the Indian national cricket team. Many fans and netizens expressed their support for Sarfaraz on social media, recalling legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar’s previous remarks on the need for his inclusion in the squad.
Sarfaraz Khan, a consistent performer in first-class cricket, silenced his critics with his maiden Test century, a moment he and his supporters had long awaited. However, his journey to the national team was fraught with challenges. Despite impressive domestic statistics, he was frequently overlooked, prompting questions about why he wasn’t granted a regular spot in the national side.
Sunil Gavaskar specifically criticized the selectors for their emphasis on fitness standards, and his remarks gained renewed attention following Sarfaraz’s achievement.
“If you are looking for only slim and trim guys, then might as well go to a fashion show and find some other models and give a bat and ball in their hands and then improve them. That’s not the way cricket goes.” “You have cricketers in all shapes and sizes. Don’t go by the size, go by the scores or wickets. He is not staying off the field when he scores a hundred. He is back on the field again. So, all that tells you is that the man is fit,” Gavaskar was quoted as saying by India Today last year.
How can you score runs? I think at the end of the day if you are unfit, you aren’t gonna score hundreds.” “Cricket fitness is the most important thing. Yo-Yo Test can’t be the only criterion. You got to make sure that the man is cricket fit as well. If the person, whoever it is, is cricket fit, then I don’t think it should be any matter,” he added.
Following his remarkable innings, Sarfaraz became the ninth Indian to score a century in the second innings after being dismissed for a duck in the first innings of a Test match. He joins the ranks of legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, and Virat Kohli on this prestigious list.