SA warm-ups: Why is Sarfaraz out in the cold after promising 2024 debut?

The selectors’ snub to Sarfaraz Khan for the India A squad to face touring South Africa for two warm-up matches has triggered the old debate — what more will the Mumbai batter have to do to stay in the reckoning for the Test squad? The squads were announced by the BCCI on Tuesday with Rishabh Pant as captain, and both matches will be played at the Centre of Excellence, Bengaluru from 30 October.

A look at the squads show that the usual suspects when it comes to the Test team middle-order are present in full strength — Sai Sudarshan, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar and Ruturaj Gaikwad in either or both the matches. Even Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz’s teammate in Mumbai and the Under-19 India captain, has got a look-in in the first game, though he is unlikely to figure in the playing XI.

Sarfaraz, who captured the imagination of Indian fans with a half century on debut against England last year, and garnered 371 runs from six Tests at home (with a highest of 150 against the Kiwis and three 50s), suddenly seems to be a forgotten man. He was part of the squad for the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy as a passenger, and fell off the radar thereafter.

In the lone international opportunity that he got thereafter last June, the stocky batter kept his form going in the unofficial Test against the England Lions. In Canterbury, he scored a fluent 92 off 119 deliveries, showing that he has it in him to adapt to foreign conditions. Conscious of his bodyweight being a source of criticism in the past, the 28-year-old toiled hard in the off-season to shed 17 kg, and continued to let his bat do the talking in the season-opener Buchi Babu tournament in August.

In the first match against TNCA XI, Sarfaraz walked in after a mini collapse and rustled up an innings of 138 from 114 balls before leaving with cramps. In the next match against Haryana, he walked out when the team was struggling at 84/4 but stayed unaffected as he scored at a fast clip to make 111 runs off 112 balls.

The Mumbai cricket fraternity is disappointed at the cold shoulder to him despite his promising Test debut last year. Speaking to National Herald, Nadeem Menon, chief curator at Wankhede Stadium, said: ‘’Sarfaraz was like an uncut diamond who needs nurturing — it’s difficult to say what’s stopping him from coming back in the reckoning again. It’s also time the selectors considered his younger brother Musheer for white-ball cricket, he has scored phenomenally for Mumbai and is an allrounder.’’

A number of theories are in circulation about the repeated ignoring of Sarfaraz the performer — one of the more credible ones being head coach Gautam Gambhir accusing him of ‘leaking’ dressing room conversation during the disastrous tour of Oz. Adding fuel to fire was an X post by Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed, who alleged that Khan was left out owing to his surname, suggestive of his religion. ‘’Is Sarfaraz Khan not selected because of his surname! #justasking. We know where Gautam Gambhir stands on that matter,’’ Mohamed said.

Meanwhile, on the cricketing front, a PTI report suggests Sarfaraz had to make way as Rishabh Pant was making a comeback as captain and would possibly bat at number five or six. There are suggestions for Sarfaraz that he should request the Mumbai team management to send him higher up the order as the no. 3 position is still iffy, with Sai Sudarshan yet to consolidate himself in that position in the Indian team.

India A for first four-day match: Rishabh Pant (C) (WK), Ayush Mhatre, N Jagdeesan (WK), Sai Sudharsan (VC), Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurnoor Brar, Anshul Kamboj, Yash Thakur, Ayush Badoni, Saransh Jain 

Second four-day match: Rishabh Pant (C) (WK), KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Sai Sudharsan (VC), Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurnoor Brar, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.