According to recent news, Sarfaraz Khan, a Mumbai batter, has been overlooked for the Indian squad, despite his exceptional domestic performances. The 25-year-old has shown remarkable consistency in domestic cricket over the last couple of years, scoring 3505 runs at an average of 79.65 in 37 first-class matches, with 13 hundreds and nine fifties. Despite his impressive record, he was not selected for the West Indies tour, with the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal chosen ahead of him. Lack of discipline was cited as one of the main reasons for his snub, according to a BCCI official.
Vinod Kambli
Vinod Kambli, an exceptionally talented cricketer, failed to realize his full potential due to his well-documented disciplinary issues. Although he had a sensational start to his international career, he was dropped from the team following the 1996 World Cup due to behavioral problems.
According to former BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya, Kambli had a habit of returning to the hotel room late at night and waking up other players by knocking on their doors. He would also drink and cry loudly, disturbing others and affecting their performance the next day. Kambli also had other incidents, including getting drunk and fighting with his fiancée in a hotel room and abusing former skipper Mohammad Azharuddin. Despite making numerous comebacks to the Indian team after being dropped in 1996, Kambli could never reestablish his place and played his last game for India in 2000 at the age of 28.
During India’s tour of England in 1936, Lala Amarnath, a cricket legend, was sent back from the tour by captain Maharaja of Vijianagaram (Vizzy) for an alleged act of disobedience during a first-class game. However, most reports suggest thatBefore a few games, Amarnath had injured his back but was not given any rest.
At Lord’s, he was asked to pad up, but captain Vizzy forced him to sit and watch as other batsmen were sent in ahead of him. Eventually, he got his turn minutes before the close, and clearly angry, when he returned to the changing room, he threw his kit into his bag and muttering, in Punjabi, “I know what is transpiring.” Subsequently, the team manager, Major Jack Brittain-Jones, informed Amarnath that he was being sent home from the tour. As per reports, a letter signed by many teammates also demanded action against him.
Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul
During India’s tour of Australia in January 2019, all-rounder Hardik Pandya and batter KL Rahul were sent home and banned for making highly derogatory remarks about women during a popular TV chat show named ‘Koffee with Karan’. Pandya bragged about hooking up with multiple women and discussing it with his parents, while Rahul was more reserved in his responses but supported Pandya’s claims.
Indian captain Virat Kohli criticized the inappropriate behavior of his teammates, who later apologized after the matter became a huge controversy. An inquiry was ordered into the incident, and the ban on Pandya and Rahul was lifted a few weeks later. A source close to Sarfaraz Khan stated that he had never been disrespectful to anyone, and he relieved the team from a pressure situation, leading to a celebratory atmosphere.
