To get fitter for India’s tour of Australia, Sarfaraz Khan has been using the services of a chef suggested by Rishabh Pant. Suryakumar Yadav told The Indian Express about Sarfaraz’s effort to get fitter for the nearly two-month long five-Test series in Australia.
“Sarfaraz is working on his fitness with the Indian team strength and conditioning coach and Rishabh (Pant) has provided him with a chef who is taking care of his food. The intent is that by the time he reaches Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, his body is in a better shape. Fitness is important in this sport as he gets older, body will change. He is working hard now, he will be fine in future,” Suryakumar told The Indian Express.
In the past, Sarfaraz has come under criticism for his fitness, and Suryakumar explained how it’s an unfair perception.
“His body type might make him look fat but if you ask him to bat 450 balls, score double hundred, triple hundred, daddy hundred, he has that skill. I think the team has a similar demand to make big hundreds, play game changing knocks… I have never seen him skipping practice even on match day. If there is a game, he will get up at 5 am, bat for one hour near his home and then join the team bus. After the game he will go to the nearby ground and bat again,” Suryakumar said.
Last year, Sunil Gavaskar, former India captain, had come out in support of Sarfaraz, lashing out at the fat-shaming.
“If you are looking for only slim and trim guys, then might as well go to a fashion show and find some other models and give a bat and ball in their hands and then improve them. That’s not the way cricket goes,” Gavaskar was quoted as saying by India Today. “You have cricketers in all shapes and sizes. Don’t go by the size, go by the scores or wickets. He is not staying off the field when he scores a hundred. He is back on the field again. So, all that tells you is that the man is fit.
“Cricket fitness is the most important thing. Yo-Yo Test can’t be the only criterion. You got to make sure that the man is cricket fit as well. If the person, whoever it is, is cricket fit, then I don’t think it should be any matter”.
