Picture Credit: Facebook/@wasimjaffer
Former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer has been appointed as the chief coach of Odisha's senior cricket team. The 43-year-old has worked as the batting coach of Bangladesh cricket team in past and is currently also working in the same position for IPL franchise Punjab Kings. He has also worked as a head coach in domestic cricket (Uttarakhand team) but had resigned from the post in January 2021.
With so many speculations around Jaffer's next coaching job, the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) cleared everything when it announced his appointment as head coach for at least next two years. "The Cricket Advisory Committee of Odisha Cricket Association has appointed Wasim Jaffer as the Chief Coach of Odisha Cricket Association for the Season 2021-22 & 2022-23," a release issued by OCA said.
Jaffer's second stint as head coach in domestic cricket
This would be Jaffer's second stint as head coach in domestic cricket after his time with Uttarakhand. Reflecting on his profile, the release by OCA stated, "Wasim Jaffer is one of the legends of Indian cricket who hails from Mumbai and holds a very impressive playing & coaching profile. He has played for Mumbai and Vidarbha Cricket Association in the BCCI Domestic Cricket tournaments."
OCA CEO Subrat Behera revealed that Jaffer had expressed his interest to become coach of the Odisha cricket team and applied for the post. He added, "OCA secretary had personally invited him and held talks with him. His interview was conducted by the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) as per the procedure. Subsequently, the CAC approved his appointment as the coach of the senior team."
Notably, the former Indian cricketer represented his country in 31 Tests where he amassed 1944 runs at an average of 34.10. He has 11 fifties and 5 centuries to his name, including 2 double-hundreds. Apart from playing 2 ODIs for India, he also has 8 IPL appearances for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Being the highest run-scorer in first-class cricket in India (19,410 runs), Jaffer is one of the most prolific names in domestic cricket in the country.