BCCI selector breaks silence on Sarfaraz Khan’s alleged axing for being Muslim

Former national selection committee chairman MSK Prasad hit back at Congress leader Shama Mohamed for alleging Sarfaraz Khan’s exclusion due to his surname. Prasad, who was India’s Chief National Selector from 2016 to 2020, stated that players are never chosen based on their name, surname, or religion.

The politician sparked controversy by questioning the exclusion of Sarfaraz from the India A squad for the series against South Africa A in Bengaluru. She accused the selection panel, led by Ajit Agarkar, and head coach Gautam Gambhir of allegedly overlooking the middle-order batter due to his surname.

Sarfaraz Khan Has Done Exceptionally Well - MSK Prasad

Speaking to IANS, MSK Prasad rejected claims of bias in player selection, adding that decisions are never influenced by religion or community. He noted that Sarfaraz Khan has consistently performed well in domestic cricket and suggested there could be other reasons for his non-selection.

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“It'll never happen. When the kid got selected, forget Sarfaraz —generally, when a player is selected, you don't talk about communities, regionalism, or other stuff. But why do all these things come out only when someone is dropped?" Prasad said.

"We all know that Sarfaraz Khan has done exceptionally well; he has done well in domestic cricket and all. There could be some reason that the selectors would come out and tell. I don't really foresee Sarfaraz being dropped in an India A game."

The Selectors Come Out And Say It - MSK Prasad on Sarfaraz Khan's Snub

MSK Prasad emphasized that only a player’s performance is taken into account. He also stated that if there are questions regarding a player’s omission, the selectors should provide a clear explanation.

“There must be a solid reason; it may be any reason, but let the selectors come out and say it. But my opinion on regionalism and communalism being the reason behind a player being dropped is absolutely... ah! I don't think I've ever come across such a thing, because we never take the community or a particular religion into account when selecting. The only thing that is considered is a player's performance. And if someone is thinking along those lines, they are wrong and don't understand Indian cricket at all,” Prasad said.

According to reports, Sarfaraz’s exclusion was related to team balance. Ajit Agarkar had previously explained that Khan missed the home series against the West Indies because of a quadriceps injury and needed time to regain match fitness before being reconsidered for selection.

Sarfaraz Khan Scored 42 and 32 in the Ranji Trophy Opener for Mumbai

Sarfaraz Khan recently returned to competitive cricket after recovering from a quadriceps injury. He represented Mumbai in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy opener against Jammu and Kashmir, scoring 42 and 32 in the two innings.

The right-handed batter made his Test debut in the home series against England last year. He retained his place for the home series against New Zealand, where he recorded his first Test century.

However, after managing just 21 runs across four innings, he did not get a chance in the XI for the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He was also not considered for the England tour and the West Indies series, with players like Dhruv Jurel, Devdutt Padikkal, and Karun Nair ahead of him in the pecking order.

Also read: Shreyas Iyer injury update: Batter at risk of being ruled out of South Africa series