Former India Cricketer Questions BCCI On Sarfaraz Khan’s Test Snub Yet Again

After the selectors once again ignored Sarfaraz Khan for the Test team, Aakash Chopra questioned the BCCI.

The Indian selection committee unveiled the Test and ODI lineup for Team India's upcoming tour of the West Indies. There were a number of significant announcements, especially in the Test squad.

Ajinkya Rahane, a seasoned batsman who recently made a comeback to the team during the World Test Championship final, was appointed as the vice-captain. However, Cheteshwar Pujara, who had a disappointing performance in the title clash, was dropped from the squad. Apart from these, promising young talents, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad, were selected for the Test squad. However, there was one notable omission that raised eyebrows – Sarfaraz Khan.

Sarfaraz Khan, despite delivering consistent performances in the Ranji Trophy over the past few years, is yet to receive a call-up to the national team. After being snubbed once again for the tour of the West Indies, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra openly criticised the lack of clarity from the board regarding Sarfaraz's absence.

Chopra questioned the BCCI, seeking explanations for Sarfaraz's repeated exclusions and emphasised that if the reasons behind his omission are unrelated to his domestic performances, the board should make them public.

Aakash Chopra wants message communicated to Sarfaraz Khan

Speaking on his official YouTube channel, Chopra raised a query about Sarfaraz's situation. He highlighted the outstanding statistics Sarfaraz has amassed in the past three years, clearly surpassing his counterparts. Chopra expressed his perplexity, wondering what message it sends when a player of Sarfaraz's calibre continues to be overlooked for selection despite his exceptional performances.

"This is a question worth asking. If there's some other reason, something which you and I don't know, make it public. Just say it that you didn't like that particular thing about Sarfaraz, and that's why you're not considering him. But we don't know if there's something like that. I don't know if someone told Sarfaraz about that,” Chopra said.

“If you don't value first-class runs, it leaves a sour taste in the mouth,” the former India opener further added.