Sarfaraz Khan's absence from India A's squad for the upcoming four-day matches against South Africa A at home has sparked a widespread debate.

Despite averaging a staggering 110.47 in first-class cricket over the last five years, with ten hundreds and five fifties, Sarfaraz's name was glaringly absent when the selectors unveiled the squad on Tuesday (October 21).

The Mumbai batter, who has 4,759 first-class runs to his name at an average of 65.19 in 56 matches, has represented India in six Tests so far, scoring 371 runs with the help of one century and three half-centuries. He was not considered for the recently held home Test series against the West Indies.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin minced no words as he slammed the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel for ignoring Sarfaraz Khan.

"I can't find any logic behind Sarfaraz's non-selection in the India A side. I feel very, very sad for him. If I were a selector, what would I call and tell Sarfaraz? He has reduced weight, he has scored runs too, he even hit a century against New Zealand. This kind of non-selection leads me to think that someone, somewhere thinks, 'Sarfaraz Khan ko dekh liya, abhi nahi chahiye (We've seen Sarfaraz Khan, don't need him anymore).' He has not been selected in the India A side. What happens to him now? Literally, the door has been shut on him. Where will he perform? Now if he does well in first-class cricket, they will say he is a very good player in first-class, so he won't get an A series. Where will he go and prove his credentials?" Ashwin said.

"When such a non-selection happens, it probably feels like someone in the management or the selectors has decided that we are not looking at him anymore."

Ashwin, a veteran of 106 Tests, also stressed that the communication and selection strategy should align.

"The problem is that your communication and selection should match. I remember Subramaniam Badrinath used to play for the India A team and was the captain as well for a long time, but did not get selected. The same happened to Manoj Tiwary. The communication that went through was that 'we have seen enough of you, and now we want to take a look at fresh faces. So you won't be playing for the India A team anymore, but if we need you in the Indian team, we will pick you,'" the legendary off-spinner remarked.

"But if you look at the current India A side, there is a little bit of confusion. If you say we have seen enough of Sarfaraz in India A, and only if we need him will we pick him in the Indian side, then that will be wrong. Because you picked Abhimanyu Easwaran, and he has played enough for India A. However, barring these cases, the rest are all futuristic - Harsh Dubey and Manav Suthar."