Sarfaraz Khan earned his well-earned first call-up to the national team ahead of the second Test match between England and India, which begins on Friday, February 2, in Visakhapatnam. Khan scored a ton of runs in the Ranji Trophy and recently put on valiant displays for India A against England A.
Not only has he been called up, but Washington Sundar and left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar have also been named to the team. Indian had to make changes to their team because they will be without the services of KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja for the game due to injuries.
The addition of Sarfaraz to the team has delighted former cricket players. Irfan Pathan, a former all-rounder for Indian, recently discussed the implications of the Mumbai batter’s call-up for other domestic cricket players in the nation.
“When he got selected, I was happy, but I was also happy for Saurabh Kumar, who has also been performing for years in the domestic circuit.” India Today cited Pathan as saying.
“For those players competing in domestic cricket, this is a minor victory. You must value domestic cricket,” Pathan continued.
If the younger guys could have some breathing room, that would be fantastic. Irfan Pathan
Pathan thought it would be fantastic for young athletes to have the chance to play for their country. He clarified that, in the long run, it would benefit India. The 39-year-old also discussed the increased pressure the Indian squad will be under following their 28-run defeat to England in Hyderabad in the opening Test.
“It would be great if the young players could get some breathing space and if they are given that, there is a chance that they will go on and perform well for India in the future as well,” Pathan said.
Citing “personal reasons,” Virat Kohli had ruled himself out of the first two Test matches. For the second Test, India will be missing their talisman batter, so it would be crucial for the team’s younger players to step up and assist the hosts in tying the five-match series.
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