After a long wait of 26 years, Sarfaraz Khan’s father’s dream of seeing his son in the India cricket team jersey is finally coming true. The star batter was announced in India’s 16-man squad after KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja were ruled out of the India vs England 2nd Test.
This dream of Sarfaraz Khan and his father (Naushad Khan) may have come true, but not before facing several hardships and obstacles on their way to receiving his maiden Test call-up.
Talking about how his father helped him become the successful cricketer he is, he said:
“My father introduced me to cricket, and I always wondered why am I even playing.
On how he felt when he saw others getting the opportunity while he stood by and watched Sarfaraz Khan, he said:
By nature, I am an attacking batsman, and I used to get out sooner than others, and scoring big runs was getting difficult. It was disheartening to see others succeed while I wouldn’t be among the runs.
He talked about how his father would encourage him when he decided to switch states and move to Uttar Pradesh and how he put in extra effort to ensure he wasn’t feeling the pressure. He said:
Even when I moved from Mumbai to UP, he would take flights to come and see me. He would start bowling to me on the terrace or the road itself before selection trials. Now I realise the impact and importance of those efforts.
Sarfaraz credited his father for the success (receiving the maiden India call-up); he said:
When I came back to Mumbai from UP, I was scared if this would bring a halt to my career, and I strongly felt there was no future ahead of me, but my dad always stood by me. There’s no guarantee in life if you don’t get opportunities. But my dad always believed in hard work, and everything I have is a result of that work.”
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