"Sarfaraz’s returns on the field with the bat were even more prodigious than his waistline" - Gavaskar urges Indian cricket to end slim waist fixation

Former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has lambasted Indian cricket's obsession with 'slim waists' as a selection parameter over the years. Sarfaraz Khan was a victim of the same for several years, and found himself endlessly waiting for a national call-up despite being among the top run-scorers in the domestic circuit on a consistent basis.

In an age where fitness is considered as important as other skill-based facets of the game, Sarfaraz does stick out. However, the batter is right up there when it comes to run scoring, and had to be patient on the sidelines. It took an injury and unavailability crisis during the home series against England for him to avail his first opportunity, and he grabbed it with both hands.

With three fifties in his first series, followed up by a maiden ton in the recently concluded first Test against New Zealand, Sarfaraz Khan has given the management a lot to think about.

Gavaskar opined how the decision makers' stubborn infatuation with conventional athlete bodies cost Sarfaraz Khan.

"Sarfaraz’s returns on the field with the bat were even more prodigious than his waistline. Sadly, Indian cricket has had too many decision-makers with ideas that are hard to fathom," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.

"Sarfaraz Khan has been denied a place in the Indian team for some years now, despite scoring runs by the hundreds in domestic cricket. This was largely because those in a position to make decisions believed he didn’t have the slim waist they deemed necessary for international cricket," the former Indian batter added.

Sarfaraz Khan was considered a backup option for the middle order until now. He had been on the bench during the home series against Bangladesh, and was not slated to play the series opener against New Zealand as well. However, a late injury to Shubman Gill led to his selection in the playing XI.

"Rishabh Pant is another player who doesn’t possess the slim waist that these fitness purists seem to want" - Sunil Gavaskar

In the same column, Gavaskar also cited Rishabh Pant as an example of a player who delivers consistently despite not fitting into the ideal athlete figure mold. The wicket-keeper batter had been called out for his weight on a consistent basis, but has emerged as a leaner figure post his recovery from the unfortunate accident in late 2022.

"Rishabh Pant is another player who doesn’t possess the slim waist that these fitness purists seem to want, but what an impact player he is. Let’s not forget that he also keeps wickets all day, which not only requires getting up and down for around six hours of play but also running to the stumps to gather the throws. So, please discard these yoyo-yoyo tests and instead assess how strong a player is mentally," Gavaskar elaborated his point.

"Many people in India have this strange notion that a slim waist signifies a fit person. How often have we heard someone look at a slim-waisted individual and say how fit they are? Sports fitness doesn’t depend on slim waists alone. If the mind is strong, then physical fitness can largely be controlled by it," he added.

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir has also expressed his disapproval over the yo-yo test being used as selection criteria.