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Wasim Jaffer Named Odisha Senior Team Head Coach

Wasim Jaffer named Odisha senior team head coach

Former Indian Test opener and one of the stalwarts of domestic cricket, Wasim Jaffer has been roped in as the chief coach of the Odisha senior side for the upcoming domestic season. The Ranji Trophy which was cancelled last year due to COVID-19 will return this time around and Jaffer will hope to build the team going forward.

"He (Jaffer) will be the head coach. He has been given a two-year contract," Subrata Behera, Odisha Cricket Association CEO was quoted as saying by PTI.

The Odisha Cricket Association’s (OCA) Cricket Advisory Committee picked Jaffer as the head coach replacing the former skipper of Odisha Rashmi Ranjan Parida. He took the charge of the team back in 2019.

"Besides the development of cricket across all age-groups, he (Jaffer) will also be a part of coaches development programme across the state," OCA secretary Sanjay Behera was quoted as saying in a statement.

For the second time following his retirement from domestic cricket in March 2020, Jaffer will be back as the head coach of any state team. Jaffer who is the all-time leading run-getter in the history of Ranji Trophy was at the helm of Uttarakhand but later resigned from his post after differences with the state association.

Jaffer is currently the batting coach of Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL). During his international career, Jaffer smashed a couple of double centuries in just 31 Tests but his lack of consistency led to his ouster from the team. Barring his Test career, Jaffer also played 2 ODIs for India.

Meanwhile, Odisha performed admirably in the 2019-20 season where they lost to Bengal in the quarter-final. Batting has been their nemesis for a long time and Jaffer’s appointment will surely make some difference in the upcoming season. The senior team camp will start from 25th July only if the government gives its approval pertaining to the COVID-19 regulations.

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