Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai
For Naushad Khan, Sarfaraz’s father, charity began at home. About a month ago, pictures of the cricketer’s stunning body transformation popped up on social media and expectedly made the headlines. More than anything else, dietary discipline helped him shed more than 17 kilos. But in his family, he wasn’t a case in isolation. His father, and coach, led by example.
“I have shed 30 kilos,” Naushad said, speaking to RevSportz. “I was 122 kg earlier, now I’m 92. “All of us, Sarfaraz, Musheer and I, have benefited from following a strict dietary schedule.”
Safaraz didn’t hire a personal trainer. Yes, he spent extra hours on fitness, but discipline was the key. “He just followed the schedule given to him by the NCA (Centre of Excellence) as far as his fitness was concerned,” said Naushad. “It was important to bring on that discipline in food habits.”
Rice, flour and sugar have been binned. Fruits, salads, grilled fish and chicken have taken over. So far so good, but Sarfaraz needs to make a statement in the Duleep Trophy, as he approaches his season of reckoning. Runs are his only currency to be in the Indian team reckoning, with the home Test series against the West Indies starting in October. He hit a couple of centuries for Mumbai in the Buchi Babu Tournament, but the selectors will make a note of the performances in the ongoing Duleep Trophy where West Zone’s first match is from September 4.
Sarfaraz was one of the positives for the Indian team in an otherwise humiliating home series whitewash against New Zealand last year. He scored 150 in the second innings of the first Test in Bangalore, which gave him a ticket to Australia. Sarfaraz, however, didn’t get a game in the five-Test series Down Under and he wasn’t picked for the England tour in the summer. But there could be places up for grabs in the upcoming home series.
It’s unlikely that the selectors would continue with Karun Nair in the middle order. Cricket gave the 33-year-old a few chances in England, but he failed to grab them, wasting his starts and returning with just 205 runs from eight innings at an average of 25.62. India tried Sai Sudharsan at No. 3 in England, who made 140 runs in six innings at an average of 23.33. The southpaw, however, is being looked at as a long-term investment.
As regards the West Zone team in the Duleep Trophy, there’s a battle within the battle — a healthy rivalry between Sarfaraz and Shreyas Iyer for a place in the Indian team. The latter will have a point to prove after the Asia Cup snub, albeit in the context of a different format. The West Zone side will benefit from this. But from Sarfaraz’s perspective, not getting into the Indian team for the home series would be a serious setback.
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