‘Not even close to the truth’: India’s Sarfaraz Khan omission Team sparks debate; Irfan Pathan reacts | Cricket News

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has weighed in on the growing debate around Sarfaraz Khan’s exclusion from the India A team for the upcoming first-class matches against South Africa A, urging caution so as not to turn cricket selection into a political or communal issue. Sarfaraz, who turned 28 on Wednesday, did not feature in either of the two teams captained by Rishabh Pant, despite an impressive domestic record, including a first-class average above 100 in the last five years.Go beyond borders with our YouTube channel. REGISTER NOW!His omission reignited discussions among fans and observers wondering whether the Mumbai batter remained in contention for India’s second team.“The selectors and the coach (management) will always have a plan. Sometimes it may seem fake to fans, but please don’t twist things and create narratives that aren’t even close to the truth,” Pathan wrote on

Irfan Pathan on X

Congress national spokesperson Shama Mohamed fueled the debate on social media, alleging religious bias in the non-selection and questioning head coach Gautam Gambhir’s stance. “Isn’t Sarfaraz Khan selected because of his last name! #justasking. We know where Gautam Gambhir stands on this issue,” she wrote on X. The remarks drew sharp criticism from BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla, who termed the comments as divisive. “Stop dividing India on communal lines, caste lines. Keep your dirty communal political agenda out of Shama cricket,” he said, noting that other Muslim players, Mohammad Siraj and Khaleel Ahmed, are still part of the team. Reacting to the contrasting opinions, Pathan stressed the need to focus on the game rather than letting social media and political narratives create unnecessary tension. He highlighted how quickly wild conclusions were drawn without context, urging fans and executives to respect the selection process. Pathan’s remarks come at a time when Sarfaraz’s international appearances have been sporadic. After making his Test debut under Rohit Sharma against England in February last year, he scored 371 runs in six Tests at an average of 37.10, with one century and three fifties. His last outing for India came in the home series against New Zealand in November 2024, and he has since been ruled out of major tours, including the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, the tour of England and the home series against the West Indies.

The debate around Sarfaraz’s exclusion from the India A team has also been understood as a “door closing” for him, as pointed out by former India player Ravichandran Ashwin.