Former Indian chief selector and captain, Dilip Vengsarkar, raised concerns about the Indian cricket team's handling of domestic stars, especially Sarfaraz Khan.
Vengsarkar criticized the Indian management for not giving Sarfaraz the opportunity at the right time. However, the former chief selector believes that the Mumbai batter still has the potential to contribute to the team.
Notably, Sarfaraz was handed a maiden call-up to the Indian team as a replacement for the injured KL Rahul for the second Test against England. But the team management handed a debut cap to Madhya Pradesh batter Rajat Patidar, and Sarfaraz was once again overlooked.
Well, Vengsarkar hinted at the possibility of Sarfaraz losing confidence and motivation if he continues to be overlooked for his opportunities. He stressed the importance of players being given chances at the right time to maintain their enthusiasm and hunger to perform for the country.
Dilip Vengsarkar told RevSportz: “There are a lot of good players all around. I think [Rajat] Patidar is good and I watched him play around four years ago. However, he did not get an opportunity back then. Sarfaraz [Khan] is good as well, but he also has not gotten the opportunity at the right time.”
The former Indian skipper continued, “I think the timing has to be precise in these situations - provide opportunity to these youngsters when they are in great form. If you lose that time, then the player might lose his form, interest, or fitness.”
Meanwhile, Vengsarkar lauded the young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal for his performances at the highest level while recalling the time when he took him to England to get exposure.
He recalled, “I had taken him (Jaiswal) to England when he was 14 or 15 years of age, and as we all know, he comes from a very humble background. In England, he scored in every match and we could see the hunger in him. I knew this kid would go places with the talent he possessed.”
Vengsarkar signed off by saying, “He then went on to play for India U19 and scored plenty of runs in the World Cup, which supported his cause by getting picked by the IPL franchise, Rajasthan Royals. I am extremely happy about him and now he is the captain of Dadar Union as well, where I played for 25 years.”
Notably, India will host England in the third Test at Rajkot from February 15 and Sarfaraz is unlikely to be retained in the squad as KL Rahul is all set to return to the side.
