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Irfan Pathan lashes out at selectors for picking Suryakumar over Sarfaraz for AUS Tests with 'Ranji Trophy' reminder
What hurt fans and experts the most and left them question selection criteria was Sarfaraz Khan's omission yet again while Suryakumar Yadav earned a call-up. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan was left fuming as well as he lashed out the selectors with “Ranji Trophy” reminder.
BCCI's selection committee, earlier this week, announced India's 17-member squad for the first two Tests against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar series at home. There was no Japsrit Bumrah, neither was there Rishabh Pant. But what hurt fans and experts the most and left them question selection criteria was Sarfaraz Khan's omission yet again while Suryakumar Yadav earned a call-up. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan was left fuming as well as he lashed out the selectors with “Ranji Trophy” reminder.
Suryakumar did not play first-class cricket for three years until he made his return in late December last year, scoring an 80-ball 90 for Mumbai in a Ranji Trophy game.
Sarfaraz, on the other hand, scored 928 runs at 154.66 in 2019/20 season, 982 runs at 122.75 in 2021/22 season and 431 runs so far at 107.75 in the ongoing edition. He laced nine centuries and five fifties during his run in Ranji Trophy over the last three seasons. Yet, he continued to denied a spot in the team.
Disappointed at India's Test selection for the Australia series, Irfan took to Twitter to slam the selectors. He tweeted: “Ranji trophy performances should be the first criteria for test selections!”
Irfan isn't the on;y veteran cricketer to have reacted at this selection decision. On Saturday, ex-India opener Aakash Chopra questioned the logic as well.
"Sarfaraz's name is still not there. He feels he got cheated because his name should probably have come. Bumrah is still not there. That's another news but I am more concerned that Sarfaraz is not there," he said on his YouTube channel.
