Sarfaraz last played a Test match for India in November 2024.
Former India opener Wasim Jaffer strongly criticized the BCCI selectors for sidelining prolific batter Sarfaraz Khan from the Test setup, especially after he was left out of the squad for the New Zealand tour.
Sarfaraz, who has played 6 Tests for India so far, found himself benched during the two-Test series against Sri Lanka in August and eventually dropped entirely from the national squad.
Following his omission, the right-hander responded by smashing 154 runs off 228 balls in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy match against Himachal Pradesh.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Jaffer argued that because Sarfaraz boasts a spectacular first-class average of over 64 with 18 centuries in just 65 matches, his continued omission must be due to factors entirely "beyond performance and cricketing reasons".
"Sarfaraz Khan, again, I feel there is definitely something. I feel that they don't want to pick him. Otherwise, the performances are there for everyone to see. In his last Ranji Trophy match as well, he slammed a ton. He has 18 first-class hundreds in such a short career. I feel they don't want to pick him. I don't know the reason, but I think it's beyond performance and cricketing reasons," Jaffer said.
"I just feel that they don't want to pick Sarfaraz Khan, irrespective of how many runs he scores and what his average is. There can be no other reason apart from this. It's unfortunate, but it is what it is," he added.
Jaffer also highlighted the modern shift where strong Indian Premier League (IPL) performances heavily influence national selection.
"During our time, the Ranji Trophy was everything. At that time, there was no IPL. If you did well in the Ranji Trophy, then you would get a chance in the Duleep Trophy. Then, if a touring international side was playing, you would get a chance for India A. This was the pathway for us. Now things have changed. IPL is the priority. Both players and selectors give it extra attention. We have seen so many players get selected for the national team through the IPL. As far as Rinku Singh and Tilak Varma are concerned, they are three-format players," he remarked.