Before the second Test against England begins in Vizag on Friday, Sarfaraz Khan, who has earned his maiden India call-up, talked openly about his preparation regimen, his cricketing heroes, and his father’s influence on his life. Take a peek:
On his father’s contribution to his voyage
When Sarfaraz Khan father first introduced me to cricket, I never understood why I would ever play the game.
Being an aggressive batsman by nature, I used to go out sooner than others and found it harder to score large runs. It was depressing to watch other people thrive while I did not make the cut. He would take planes to visit me even after I moved to Uttar Pradesh from Mumbai.
Before selection trials, he used to start bowling to me on the road or the terrace. I now see how significant and impactful those efforts were. I was afraid that returning to Mumbai from Uttar Pradesh would end my career and that I would have no future, but my father remained there for me no matter what. If you don’t have possibilities, nothing in life is certain. But hard work has always been my dad’s motto, and it’s what brought me everything.
During his drill regimen,
Being easily dissatisfied is one of my strengths. My daily ball count is 500–600. In my opinion, a match isn’t complete if I don’t play 200–300 balls. Now, it’s second nature. Spend time practicing in the morning, afternoon, and night. It’s just me and the ball, batting and facing deliveries. To become a five-day cricket player, you must train daily and have patience. I can spend a lot of time on the field because I play cricket all day.
Regarding his heroes and the call-up for the Indian team
My dad says I play like him; therefore, Sarfaraz Khan enjoys watching AB de Villiers, Sir Vivian Richards, Javed Miandad, and Virat Kohli. I also watch the batting of Joe Root. I observe others who are excelling to see how they do it so that I may pick up tips and tricks for when I’m in the middle. Whether it’s in the Ranji Trophy or when I play for India in the future, Sarfaraz Khan wants to keep doing this.
India
