Sarfaraz Khan questions motivation after being overlooked for India tour of New Zealand
The Mumbai batter expressed frustration over being perceived as a player suited only for Indian conditions despite scoring centuries abroad.
Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan has questioned his motivation after being omitted from the India A squad for the three-match tour of New Zealand, according to the Times of India.
The 29-year-old, who was recently included in the Test squad for the Sri Lanka tour as a replacement for Sai Sudharsan, said he often wonders why he should continue to put in intense effort.
He stated that seeing his father, Naushad, working hard motivates him to keep performing.
Sarfaraz claimed that while no selector said it directly, he heard the national team views him as an option primarily for Indian conditions.
The batter challenged this perception by noting he has scored centuries in South Africa and England during intra-squad matches.
He noted that players coming from domestic cricket often struggle on difficult, turning wickets in India, making it hard to score more than 30 or 40 runs.
Sarfaraz, who has a first-class average of 63.73, said his current focus is to score runs in the domestic season and remain ready for an India call-up.
He recently scored a 55-run half-century for Mumbai against Railways in a Ranji Trophy match on Monday.