Wasim Jaffer Appointed New Head Coach Of Odisha Ranji Team For Next Two Seasons

Former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer has been appointed as the chief coach of the Odisha senior cricket team, informed the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) on Wednesday. He was previously head coach of the Uttarakhand Ranji team but stepped down from the position in 2021 citing “interference and bias” in the team selection.

Jaffer is a stalwart of the Indian domestic scene, having played Ranji Trophy from the 1996/97 season to 2020. In course, he played Mumbai and Vidarbha and appeared in 260 FC matches, scoring a record 19410 runs with 57 centuries and 91 half-centuries and the best score of 314*. He also played 118 List-A matches scoring 4849 runs with 10 centuries and a best of 178*. In 23 T20 matches, he made 616 runs with best of 95 and 6 half-centuries.

Wasim Jaffer Appointed Odisha Head Coach For 2021-22 & 2022-23 Seasons

Jaffer also played 31 test matches for India and scored 1944 runs (100-5nos & 50-11 nos) with the highest score of 212 runs in a single innings. He has also played two One-Day International Matches for India. The Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) on Wednesday confirmed Wasim Jaffer’s appointment as the chief coach of the Odisha senior cricket team for the 2021-22 & 2022-23 seasons.

“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. 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,” a release issued by OCA said.

Previously, Jaffer was roped in by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) as the batting coach in 2019. In June 2020, he was appointed the head coach of Uttarakhand for the 2020–21 season. However, he stepped down in February 2021 citing interference and bias in the team selection.

“Jaffer had expressed his interest to become coach of the Odisha cricket team and applied for the post. 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,” said OCA CEO Subrat Behera.

The 43-year-old former right-handed opening batsman and occasional right-arm off-break bowler hold the record of the highest run-scorer in the Ranji Trophy tournament. He is currently the batting coach of the Punjab Kings IPL team.

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