‘It was not a matter of fitness’: Venkatesh Prasad comes out in support of Sarfaraz Khan

Mere days after being snubbed by selectors for the four-match Test series in Australia, Sarfaraz Khan responded with a brilliant century for Mumbai, against Delhi in a Ranji Trophy Group B game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Sarfaraz smashed 125 of 155 in Delhi’s cold – hitting 16 fours and four sixes in his stay.

The performance was yet another mark of how good Sarfaraz has been in the domestic circuit over the past few years. When the news came that selectors had decided to go in a different direction for the 17-man squad, the disappointment hit differently for Sarfaraz. Many believed that there were concerns with his weight that have curtailed his rise to the next level.

“Not having him in the Test Team despite 3 blockbuster domestic seasons is not only unfair on Sarfaraz Khan, but it’s an abuse to domestic cricket, almost as if this platform doesn’t matter. And he is FIT to score those runs. As far as body weight goes, there are many with more kgs,” said Venkatesh Prasad on Twitter after the 25-year old’s ton.

The news of his snub had reached him when he was in the Mumbai camp in Delhi for the Ranji game. He later told the Indian Express, that a visit from his father helped him feel better about the situation.

“I was down completely. It’s natural for anyone, especially once you have scored so many runs. I’m also human, not a machine. I too have emotions. I spoke to my father and he came to Delhi. I just had a practice session in Delhi with him. I have been getting messages and hearing that I should have been there. My father came and said our job is to score runs and he feels a day will come when I will play for India. So we need to keep that belief and let destiny decide the rest,” Khan said to the Indian Express.