"I had tears in my eyes whenever I used to think about my selection"- Sarfaraz Khan on how his father motivated him amidst India snub
Uncapped Indian batter Sarfaraz Khan opened up on his struggles as he had to wait a long time before he finally got his maiden Indian call-up. He has been called up for the second Test against England in Visakhapatnam, starting on February 2.
Sarfaraz's father Naushad has also been his coach since childhood and kept on motivating the Mumbai right-hander to not give up no matter what. The 26-year-old is happy that he was finally able to fulfill his father's dream.
Speaking in a video published by BCCI on their website, here's what Sarfaraz Khan had to say about his father:
"I had tears in my eyes whenever I used to think about my selection in the team. But my father adviced me, 'You keep working hard and you will be unstoppable.' Having self-belief and patience was very important."
He further added:
"Everyone knows that my father is my coach and my ultimate goal was to not let his hard work on me go to waste. I had the desire to get to play for my country so I am happy that the hard work I put in hasn't gone in vain."
With an injury to KL Rahul, India may have to pick at least one between Sarfaraz Khan and Rajat Patidar in their XI for the second Test.
Proud moment to make it to the Indian team: Sarfaraz Khan
Sarfaraz Khan is letting the moment sink in and is not thinking too much about his potential India debut. He is delighted that he could make his father happy by getting picked for the Indian team.
On this, Sarfaraz said:
"I am happy for my father too. It's a proud moment to make it to the Indian team amidst a population of 125 crore people."
Sarfaraz has certainly proven that he has the pedigree to be successful at the highest level for India. At such a crucial juncture in the Test series, the right-hander could go a long way in helping India make a comeback with a crucial contribution.