Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has criticized the national selectors for making Cheteshwar Pujara a “scapegoat” and ignoring domestic run-getter Sarfaraz Khan from the squad for next month’s two-Test series in the West Indies. is of.
Upset over Sarfaraz not being included in the team, Gavaskar questioned the conduct of the Ranji Trophy itself, saying that the selection of the Test team was based on the performance of the players in the Indian Premier League (IPL), ignoring the performance in the country’s top domestic tournament. going.
Gavaskar told Sports Today, “Sarfaraz Khan has been scoring runs at an average of around 100 for the last three seasons. What will he have to do to make it into the team? He may not get a place in the playing XI but he should have been selected in the team.
The former veteran said, “He should feel that his performance is being appreciated. If it is not so, then stop playing Ranji Trophy. If you make a place in the Test team by playing well in IPL, then there is no use of Ranji Trophy.
Sarfaraz scored 556 runs in six matches at an average of 92.66 with the help of three centuries in the 2022–23 Ranji Trophy. The 25-year-old right-handed batsman scored 982 runs in the 2021-22 Ranji season at an average of 122.75, including four centuries.
Sarfaraz has so far scored 3,505 runs in 37 first-class matches at an average of 79.65, including 13 centuries. On Pujara being dropped from the Test team, he said that the number of followers of this player on social media is not like that of Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma. There are not many people to raise voice for them.
Gavaskar asked, “Why has he been made a scapegoat for our batting failures?” He has been a loyal servant of Indian cricket, a calm and capable man. He doesn’t have lakhs of followers on any platform to shout his case. Leaving him out of the team is beyond comprehension.
This former opener said, “What is the criteria for keeping Pujara out of the team and keeping other players who have failed?” I don’t know the reason because these days there is no media interaction with the chairman of selectors or anybody where you can question the selectors.
He said, “All the batsmen except Ajinkya Rahane had failed in the WTC final, so why only Pujara was left out of the team.
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