Big Stats
His figures are staggering to say the least and thinking that he is in prolific form would be an understatement. Sarfaraz Khan, the batting mainstay of Mumbai for the past three seasons has been on an indefinite scoring spree, averaging over a 100 in the past three years with an overall Ranji Trophy average of 80. He has encountered everything which has come his way and on many occasions has wrestled Mumbai out of tough situations. He is living a batsman’s dream.
Legends Weigh In
There is no question that such amazing and eye catching performance would have missed a National call up. But unfortunately young Sarfaraz has not been picked for the national side which has led to several former cricketers including Venkatesh Prasad and the legendary Sunil Gavaskar voicing their disappointment at his non inclusion. Venkatesh Prasad in no uncertain terms even mentioned that not picking Sarfaraz was as good as belittling our Domestic Cricket. But the fact is that performance in Domestic Circuits has never been a guarantee for selection.
Severe Competition
Over the years I have seen many good players with great talent and ability and loads and loads of runs in the Domestic Competitions had minuscule international careers and some even could not get an India Cap. It all depends on the composition of the Indian Team and the competition within it at that time. I remember very distinctly that the Late Raman Lamba who scored tons of runs for Delhi almost played for India in a Test match. Unfortunately he hurt his toe on the day of the match and was ruled out. He never got another chance because the team was packed with players who were performing and too good to be dropped.
Stories of the Past
Ambati Rayudu had only a brief career with the Indian Team, though at one point of time he was hailed as an exceptional talent and a future great. So was Amol Mazumdar who was as prolific as one could be, but could never make his debut for India. The list is endless and as I said much depends on the competition within the Indian Team in those times.
Selection Conundrums
To be fair to selectors, India is enjoying one of the best phases when it comes to extraordinary batting talent, with burgeoning competition for each slot in the batting order. Though it’s a good headache to have, it might come as a rude shock for the ones who miss the bus. Surely it is no reflection on their ability, it’s just that their time has not come yet.
All is not Lost
What can Sarfaraz do now is an important question. He has started perfectly and immediately after the announcement of the Team for the first two Tests against Australia on home soil, where he missed out, Sarfaraz has scored a hundred yet again against Delhi under tough circumstances in a Ranji game. One more thing, in my opinion, is the performance in the IPL this year. An opportunity is there for the taking. With Rishabh Pant out of the Delhi Capitals Team (recovering from an accident), there would be tremendous scope for Sarfaraz to take over the batting mantle and register himself for a reckoning in the One Day squad for the World Cup later this year.
All is not lost for Sarfaraz, he still has age on his side and instead of giving bytes to media he should keep doing what he is best at. He should be prepared whenever an opportunity arises. His Mumbai captain Surya Kumar Yadav should be inspiration enough, who despite of losing precious years has taken International Cricket by storm.
Keep going Sarfaraz…let the clock turn in your favour.
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Featured Image : Sarfaraz Khan/ photo courtesy Telegraph India