The cricketer-turned-commentator labeled him a special player for being consistent in first-class cricket.
Sunil Gavaskar recently expressed his dismay at Sarfaraz Khan's exclusion from India's squad for the first two home Tests against Australia. The highly anticipated series will commence in Nagpur on February 9.
The former Indian captain believes that the Mumbai batsman has performed exceptionally well to be excluded from the first two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar series. The cricketer-turned-commentator praised him as a special player for his consistent performance in first-class cricket. He highlighted the batsman's impressive record in the domestic circuit, noting that his impressive form should not be overlooked.
Gavaskar also criticized the critics of Sarfaraz for questioning his fitness. In a powerful statement against the national selectors, the batting legend asserted that cricketers come in all shapes and sizes, and that Sarfaraz should not be judged solely on his physical appearance.
“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 told India Today.
The statement came a day after Sarfaraz scored an impressive 125 off 155 balls for Mumbai against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy. His stellar performance propelled Ajinkya Rahane-led Mumbai to a total of 293 in their first innings against Delhi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Legendary cricketer also asserted that the Yo-Yo Test should not be the sole criterion for selection.
“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,” Gavaskar added.
So far, Sarfaraz has been in top form in the ongoing Ranji Trophy, having scored 556 runs in six games at an impressive average of 92.66, including three centuries. Last season, the right-handed batter was even more prolific, amassing 982 runs in six games at an incredible average of 122.75, with four centuries to his name. His performance in the preceding season was also remarkable, as he scored 928 runs in six games at an impressive average of 154.67, including three centuries.
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