Sarfaraz Khan’s remarkable debut Test performance against England’s spinners wasn’t a stroke of luck; it was the culmination of over 15 years of relentless dedication and meticulous training under the guidance of his father, Naushad Khan. His confident display with two half-centuries in his maiden Test in Rajkot solidified his position in the Indian team, showcasing the fruition of years of hard work in domestic cricket and rigorous practice sessions at his father’s ‘Macho Cricket Club’.
The meticulous planning and arduous training regimen, especially during the COVID-19 lockdowns, bore fruit as Sarfaraz confidently tackled the likes of Tom Hartley, Joe Root, and Rehan Ahmed on the field.
It involved facing 500 deliveries daily from various spinners on the grounds of Oval, Cross, and Azad Maidans in Mumbai,” shared a coach closely associated with Sarfaraz’s journey.
“…during the lockdown, he embarked on a 1600km car journey. From Mumbai to Amroha, Moradabad, Meerut, Kanpur, Mathura, and Dehradun, he played on traditional ‘akhadas’, where the ball turns viciously,” he added.
The ease with which Sarfaraz maneuvered the spinners was a testament to his rigorous training regime.
While credit primarily goes to Naushad, coaches like Sanjay Rastogi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar), Badruddin Sheikh (Mohammed Shami), Kapil Deo Pandey (Kuldeep Yadav), Sanjay Bhardwaj (Gautam Gambhir), and RP Easwaran (father of India A captain Abhimanyu Easwaran) also played pivotal roles in shaping Sarfaraz’s skills, organizing net sessions during the lockdown.
Naushad approached me during the lockdown, and I felt it was my responsibility, being from Azamgarh like him, to help his son,” shared Kapil Pandey.
“Sarfaraz played a lot against Kuldeep at our Kanpur Academy during the lockdown. We arranged T20 matches as preparation for the Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament,” he added.
Even Shami’s coach, Badruddin, contributed to Sarfaraz’s training, arranging sessions in Ahmedabad and providing opportunities to play matches.
Sarfaraz’s training wasn’t confined to match days; even on off-days, he endured grueling sessions with his father, practicing on astro turf wickets at home against pacers and honing his skills against spinners on the Maidans.
“Naushad ensured Sarfaraz received simulation training even for red-ball cricket. If Mumbai played Tamil Nadu in Chennai, they would create roughs with spikes to mimic day four pitches,” elaborated another coach.
The collective effort bore fruit as Sarfaraz exhibited his mastery against spinners in Rajkot, showcasing his capability to handle the toughest challenges with confidence and finesse.
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