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Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin has raised questions on the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar regarding the team selection for the Test. For the recently concluded one-off Test against Afghanistan, the selectors made some surprising decisions by including several young players in the squad while leaving out several players who have played for India in this format.
While the selectors tried to give chances to emerging players, but to everyone’s surprise, they ignored Auqib Nabi, who was the best bowler in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season. Why the selectors did not choose Nabi remains a mystery.
Jammu and Kashmir won the Ranji Trophy on the basis of Auqib Nabi’s brilliant bowling.
Mohammad Azharuddin is among those who believe that Auqib Nabi deserves a place in the Test team as he has proved his bowling skills in two consecutive domestic seasons. The former Indian captain says that if such performances are ignored then players will lose interest in playing domestic matches.
“I feel very sad for Aaqib Nabi. He has taken almost 60 wickets this season and almost 50 last year, but we are still not able to give him a place in the Test team. It is very disappointing and surprising. Everyone says that players have to perform in domestic cricket, but if those performances are not being recognized then what is the point of playing in the domestic season? Aaqib Nabi is a very good Test match bowler and an excellent exponent of swing bowling.”
Sarfaraz Khan made his debut, but suddenly disappeared from the scene
He also mentioned Sarfaraz Khan, who played strongly for Mumbai in the last domestic season. Khan, mostly known for his strong defensive abilities, has batted with utmost aggression for Mumbai in the domestic tournaments.
Sarfaraz made his Test cricket debut in February 2024 and played a total of 6 matches in this format and he played all these matches for India in the same year. His last match for India was against New Zealand at Wankhede on 1 November 2024. In Bengaluru, he played an inning of 150 runs against the Kiwi team.
Overall, Sarfaraz Khan scored 371 runs in 6 matches at an average of 37.1, including a highest score of 150. When England toured India during the February–March window, the batsman got three half-centuries.
I am extremely disappointed by not including Aqib Nabi and Sarfaraz: Azharuddin
“After the New Zealand series, he (Sarfaraz Khan) has been given a chance. I don’t think they have played him in any of the matches. I think if he scored 100 in that game, it is fine. I mean, you need to keep giving chances. If you don’t give chances, it becomes very difficult. He has not been given a chance in Australia or England. So, what does it mean?” Former captain raised questions
“Or what does it indicate? So, I think the selectors need to look at this performance. Because I am very disappointed with Aaqib Nabi and Sarfaraz not being included. They deserve a lot of chances,” Mohammad Azharuddin told news agency PTI.
Video | Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin has questioned the national selectors for leaving out brilliant domestic performers Auqib Nabi and Sarfaraz Khan from the Test team, saying that if good performances are not performed then the players are losing faith in the importance of domestic cricket. pic.twitter.com/tM36KSwWYB
– Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 17, 2026
