'Go to fashion show...': Sunil Gavaskar slams selection committee for ignoring Sarfaraz Khan

Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has slammed the All-India Senior Selection Committee for snubbing Sarfaraz Khan from the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy. Gavaskar took a dig at the committee saying only 'slim and trim' guys were selected for the squad.

"He [Sarfaraz] is not staying off the field when he is scoring hundreds, he is back on the field again. All that tells you that the man is fit for cricket. If you are looking for only slim and trim guys, then you might as well go to a fashion show and pick some models and then give them a bat and ball in their hand and then include them," Gavaskar was quoted as saying by India Today.

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"You have cricketers in all shapes and sizes. Don't go by the size, but go by the runs and the wickets."

The legendary opener added that the 'Yo-Yo test' should not be the only criterion to select an individual for a cricket team.

"At the end of the day, if you are unfit, you are not going to score hundreds. So cricket fitness is most important. I don't have a problem with you wanting to do the Yo-Yo test or whatever it is, but the Yo-Yo test cannot be the only criterion."

"You got to make sure that the man is fit for cricket as well. And if the person, whoever it is, is fit for cricket, then I don't think it should really matter."

Notably, the selection committee announced a 17-member squad for the first two Tests against Australia last week.While Khan was snubbed, his state mate Suryakumar Yadav was picked, solely based on his T20I form.

Read more: India announce squad for Border-Gavaskar trophy; SKY makes the cut

Most ex-cricketers have been miffed with the omission of Khan because it sends a message that performance in Ranji cricket is not rewarded. And the arguments have merit.

Khan has scored a mountain of runs in the red-ball format.Since 2019, playing for Mumbai, he has scored 2,289 runs in 22 innings with a staggering average of 134.64 with nine hundreds, five fifties, two double hundreds, and a triple century.

After not being included in the Test squad, Khan in an interview said he could not sleep and questioned why he wasn't in the squad.

"But now after speaking to my father, I’m back to normal. I will never give up practice, I will not go under depression. Don’t worry, I will keep trying.”

Read more: 'I wasn’t able to sleep': Sarfaraz Khan on missing the India call-up for the Australia series

Khan's career average of 80.47 is only second to the great Donald Bradman who retired with an average of 99.9.

(With inputs from agencies)

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