'The angry reactions are understandable'- Indian Cricket Board official opens up on why Sarfaraz Khan hasn't been getting selected to national team

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The Indian Cricket Board published the ODI and Test teams for the forthcoming West Indies series a few days back. It is worth mentioning that India and the West Indies will face off in a multi-format series beginning on July 12. Both teams will play two Tests, three One-Day Internationals, and five Twenty20 Internationals.

The biggest name again missing from the side was the 25-year-old Sarfaraz Khan. Despite his consistency with the bat in the previous three Ranji Trophy seasons, he has left his first-class average only second to Don Bradman (among batters with at least 2000 runs).

Sarfaraz Khan has been waiting for the India call-up. For the third time in 2023, he has been overlooked by India's selectors, the most recent being the announcement of the 16-man Test team for the West Indies tour.

Are the selectors fools to not consider a player who has scored 900 plus runs: Indian Cricket Board official

An official from Indian Cricket Board recently spoke about why Sarfaraz Khan has been left out of the Test team. He said, "The angry reactions are understandable, but I can tell you with some degree of certainty that the reason behind Sarfaraz getting ignored time and again is not just cricketing one. There are multiple reasons for which he hasn't been considered. Are the selectors fools to not consider a player who has scored 900 plus runs in successive seasons? One of the reason is his fitness which isn't exactly of international standard," ICB official added.

He further added, "His conduct on and off the field hasn't exactly been top notch. Certain things said, certain gestures made and some incidents have been taken note of. A bit more disciplined approach would only do him a world of good. Hopefully, Sarfaraz along with his father and coach Naushad Khan will work on those aspects."

In his last three Ranji Trophy seasons, Sarfaraz scored 2566 runs. In the 2019/20 season, 928 runs were scored, 982 in the 2022-23 season, and 656 in the 2022-23 season. His hat-trick of great Ranji seasons increased his lifetime First Class average to 79.65, the highest of any India hitter.