India's U-19 all-rounder Sarfaraz Khan pays emotional tribute to his father Naushad

Sarfaraz Khan pictured with his man of the match award in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2014 match between India and Pakistan on February 15, 2014 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Sarfaraz Khan, one of India’s brightest young prospects for India, paid an emotional tribute to his father, Naushad Khan who according to the all-rounder is his biggest motivator.

After India’s match against Pakistan in the U-19 World Cup, Sarfaraz wore a shirt with the number ’97′ instead of the usual ’87′ that he wears, and after being asked about it, the 16-year old explained that it was his way of expressing his respect to his father since ’97′ in Hindi translates to ‘Nau Saat‘, which rhymes with ‘Naushad’.

Sarfaraz’s father is also his coach, and is always travelling with the player. One instance of Naushad’s influence on his son’s cricket was when he installed a synthetic pitch right outside their house to ensure that Sarfaraz had all the facilities in hand at all times.

Sarfaraz and his father. (Picture Courtesy: CricInfo)

“It may seem over the top from a distance, but sometimes the additional push is required to not let him distract from the main goal,” said Naushad on being asked whether he was pushing his son too much into the game.

“After whatever he has seen at such a young age, he keeps on saying he wants to do it for me. After all, he has seen all those whom his father helped distance themselves from him once they achieved fame.”

“A diamond has to be polished, no matter its origins,” concluded the proud father.

Clearly, Sarfaraz is not just living his dream, but also his father’s, and the half-century in India’s first match of the Under-19 World Cup against Pakistan must have been a proud moment for his father.