'Why should I wake up at 5 am?': Sarfaraz Khan opens up on India snubs & motivation
Cricketer Sarfaraz Khan discusses his frustration with being repeatedly overlooked for the Indian Test team despite his domestic performance. He expresses confusion over the selectors' perception that he is only suitable for Indian conditions.
Why it matters
The story highlights the challenges faced by domestic players in breaking into the national squad and the subjective nature of selection criteria.
MUMBAI: The shrug of the shoulder said it all when Sarfaraz Khan was asked about his absence from the India Test set-up.The latest snub came when he was overlooked for India A's three-match tour of New Zealand. This was after he had been included in the Test squad for the Sri Lanka tour as Sai Sudharsan's replacement.Quizzed about what keeps him motivated despite repeatedly being overlooked, the 29-year-old said he often finds himself questioning the effort he puts in every day."I wake up every morning and ask myself the same question. Why should I work harder? Why do the same things? Why should I wake up at 5 am (for practice)? I have already played for India. So even with basic effort, I can still play for Mumbai. With that effort, I can still get those 50s and 100s. So sometimes I start questioning it (the effort).
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