NEW DELHI: Congress national spokesperson Shama Mohamed on Wednesday alleged religious bias by Indian men’s cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir, questioning the non-selection of Sarfaraz Khan for national. team duties.“Is Sarfaraz Khan not selected because of his surname! #justasking. We know where Gautam Gambhir stands on that matter,” Shama Mohamed said in a post on X.Her remarks came a day after the national selection committee announced the India A squad for two first-class matches against South Africa A. Sarfaraz, who turned 28 on Wednesday, was not included in either of the two squads led by Rishabh Pant.The decision to leave out Sarfaraz from the India A team has again raised questions about the treatment of one of domestic cricket’s consistent performers. Several fans and observers have asked whether the Mumbai batsman is still being considered for India’s second-string side.Shama Mohamed’s post drew a strong reaction from BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla. “This lady & her party is sick. After calling Rohit Sharma fat — she and her party want to divide even our cricket team on communal lines? Desh ka partition karke man nahi bhara kya? In the same team MOHAMMAD SIRAJ AND KHALEEL AHMED will play! Stop dividing India on communal lines, caste lines,” Poonawalla said on X.He added, “Keep your dirty political communal agenda out of cricket Shama.”After years of toil in domestic cricket, Sarfaraz, 27, finally got to make his debut in Tests under Rohit Sharma at home against England in February last year. Since then, he has made 371 runs in six Tests at an average of 37.10, striking at a healthy 74.94, with a century and three fifties in 11 innings and a best score of 150.Sarfaraz last played for India in the home series against New Zealand in November 2024. He was not part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, the England tour, and the recently concluded home series against the West Indies. His exclusion from the India A squad for the South Africa series surprised many fans.
