Ravichandran Ashwin slams selectors over Sarfaraz Khan's India A exclusion
What's the story
Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed his disappointment over the exclusion of Sarfaraz Khan from the India A squad. The decision was announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday, sparking widespread criticism. Ashwin questioned the selectors' reasoning behind their choice and suggested that this could be a major setback for Sarfaraz's chances of returning to the national team.
Player profile
Sarfaraz scored a ton on Test debut against New Zealand
Sarfaraz, who made his Test debut against England, has played six matches for India. He scored 371 runs in total, including a century in his last series against New Zealand in November 2024. However, his form dipped in the last two matches where he managed just 21 runs. Despite this setback, Sarfaraz was picked for the Australian tour. However, he wasn't involved in any of the matches.
Exclusion details
Sarfaraz not picked for upcoming eries against SA-A
Sarfaraz was also selected for the India A team for the England tour, where he scored 92 runs. He then shed 17kg over the summer and scored tons in the pre-domestic-season Buchi Babu tournament. However, an injury kept him out of Duleep Trophy and West Indies Test series at home. Despite passing a fitness test later on, Sarfaraz was not picked for the upcoming India A series against South Africa A starting next month.
Process critique
'Selectors need to communicate clearly'
Ashwin slammed the lack of communication and clarity in the selection process, citing past cases like Subramaniam Badrinath and Manoj Tiwary who were also dropped from India A despite their contributions. He noted that while some players like Abhimanyu Easwaran have been picked for India A despite having played enough, most others are futuristic picks. Ashwin lamented Sarfaraz's non-selection as he had already ticked all boxes for a spot in the Indian side.
Comments
'I am very sad and feel sorry for him'
On his YouTube channel, Ashwin questioned the selectors' decision not to pick Sarfaraz. "However, when I examine Sarfaraz's non-selection, I don't receive any explanation. I am very sad and feel sorry for him," said Ashwin. "Had I been the selector, what would I have called him up and said? He has reduced his weight, and he has been scoring runs; he also scored a century in his last Test series," the former Indian legend stated.
Information
Selectors no longer want Sarfaraz, laments Ashwin
Ashwin added that the player's non-inclusion means the selectors are moving on from him. "And this sort of non-selection leads me to think that someone must have been thinking that we have seen enough of him, and we no longer want him, so we don't want to go in that direction."