He is not fit, he has disciplinary issues, he is aggressive. Naushad Khan heard everything that the media spoke about Sarfaraz Khan. But he waited patiently as if it was he who would make his India Test debut. And when his son finally broke down the door, getting a cap from former India captain Anil Kumble, Naushad Khan broke down in tears. The IND vs ENG 3rd Test in Rajkot was about his triumph over obstacles, perception and how struggles bear fruit in the end.
A former Mumbai cricketer, Naushad Khan could not do it. But Sarfaraz Khan fulfilled his dream. And he had a message for the distractors: Cricket is not gentlemen’s game, it’s everyone’s game.
“First of all, I want to thank the almighty who let me see the day. The tears are of happiness. I have been waiting for this moment and many times I thought of crying. But I was the father and also the coach and it would not have been good if I had cried. That’s why, I could not hold it today,” Naushad Khan said on JioCinema.
Father’s dream, coach’s promise
Those who are regular in Azad Maidan or who have covered Mumbai cricket were all aware of Sarfaraz Khan and Naushad Khan. Sr Khan cordially invited everyone for tea and at times for lunch. He would always end up narrating the sacrifices he had to make for Sarfaraz Khan to inch closer to the coveted Test cap. And the moment was here.
As soon as Sarfaraz Khan received the Test cap from Anil Kumble, he ran towards the boundary where Naushad Khan was waiting with tears in his eyes. Sarfaraz let his father touch the cap to let him know, it’s not a dream anymore. It’s a reality now. He is one of the 11 Test players in a country of 1.5 billion people.
Naushad Khan made himself a promise after one of his wards Iqbal Abdullah told him, “I had the ability, so I played. If you have the talent, then make your son play and show the world” as per an Indian Express report in 2016.
Naushad helped Abdulah become a star in IPL training him, giving him a place at his home. But he has finally done it after eight years. His son is now an Indian cricketer in the Test team.
“Every coach and father has the belief that his son will one day play for the country. But the world believes only when he receives the cap. I never thought that it would always remain a dream. I knew that it would take time, have seen many. Some of them would get it early. Some would have to wait for long,” Naushad Khan explained.
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