Wasim Jaffer

Wasim Jaffer

Jaffer in 2012
Personal information
Born	(1978-02-16)16 February 1978 Bombay,India
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-armoff break
Role	Batsman
Relations	Armaan Jaffer(nephew)
International information
National side	India(2000–2008)
Test debut (cap225)	24 February 2000 vSouth Africa
Last Test	11 April 2008 vSouth Africa
ODI debut (cap166)	22 November 2006 vSouth Africa
Last ODI	29 November 2006 vSouth Africa
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1996/97–2014/15	Mumbai
2008–2009	Royal Challengers Bangalore(squad no. 10)
2015/16–2019/20	Vidarbha
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 31 2 260 118 Runs scored 1,944 10 19,410 4,849 Batting average 34.10 5.00 50.67 44.08 100s/50s 5/11 0/0 57/91 10/33 Top score 212 10 314* 178* Ballsbowled 66 – 138 – Wickets 2 – 2 – Bowling average 9.00 – 37.00 – 5 wickets in innings 0 – 0 – 10 wickets in match 0 – 0 – Best bowling 2/18 – 2/18 – Catches/stumpings 27/– 0/– 297/– 45/–
Source:ESPNcricinfo,4 October 2020

Wasim Jafferpronunciation^ⓘ(born 16 February 1978) is an Indian retired professional cricketer. He was a right-handed opening batsman and an occasional right arm off-break bowler. In 2011 he became the highest run-scorer inRanji Trophycricket, surpassingAmol Muzumdar.In November 2018, he became the first batsman to score 11,000 runs in the competition.In January 2019, he became the most capped player in Ranji Trophy history with appearance of his 146th match surpassing Madhya Pradesh's Devendra Bundela (145).He was appointed as batting coach forBangladesh cricket team.In March 2020, he announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.

In June 2020, Jaffer was announced as the head coach ofUttarakhandfor 2020–21 season.Citing "interference and bias" in the team selection, he stepped down in February 2021.In July 2021, he was appointed as head coach ofOdishafor two years.Wasim Jaffer became Bangladesh U-19 cricket team's batting consultant.

Early years

Following a prolific school career, including an innings of 400 not out as a 15-year-old, he made his entry into the first-class cricket and scored a triple-century in his second match. This innings of 314not outhelped set a series of firsts for Mumbai. It was the first occasion that a batsman had made atriple centuryfor Mumbai away from home and, in putting on 459 runs with his opening partnerSulakshan Kulkarni,the pair became the first from Mumbai to pass 400.The Indian Expresswrote, "Such was his temperament during the 675 minute stay that it was hard to believe he was playing only his second match. What was more praiseworthy was the youngster's ability to find gaps at will."

Domestic career

Jaffer represented Scholes CC in the Huddersfield Drakes League for a number of seasons as their overseas player. For the 2010 season he moved a few miles down the road to Skelmanthorpe Cricket Club, and broke the league record for runs scored in a single season. In the 2011 season Jaffer signed to Himley CC in theBirmingham and District Premier League.

In his Test career, Jaffer scored five centuries, of which two were double-centuries. He has Test centuries against Pakistan, England, West Indies and South Africa.

As of the 2013 season Wasim Jaffer travelled to England where he played for Ainsdale CC in the LDCC league. Here he enjoyed a successful first half of the season scoring multiple centuries and a had a strike rate of 97.93 and a top score of 153 not out. Injury curtailed his time at Ainsdale as he had to return home to India for an operation on his knee.

In June 2015, Jaffer switched toVidarbhafrom2015/16 Ranjiseason.On 1 January 2018, Vidarbha won Ranji Trophy and in the final against Delhi, Jaffer hit the winning boundary.

In November 2018, in the third round of the2018–19 Ranji TrophyagainstBaroda,Jaffar became the first batsman to score 11,000 runs in the Ranji Trophy.The following month, in round seven of the tournament, he scored his 55th century in first-class cricket.Later the same month, he equalled the record for playing in the most matches in the Ranji Trophy, with 145.He was the leading run-scorer for Vidarbha in the group-stage of the 2018–19 Ranji Trophy, with 763 runs in eight matches.In the quarter-final match of the tournament, againstUttarakhand,he scored his 19,000th run in first-class cricket.

In the opening round of the2019–20 Ranji Trophy,Jaffer became the first cricketer to play in 150 matches in the Ranji Trophy.On 7 March 2020, Jaffer retired from all formats of the game.

International career

An innings-by-innings breakdown of Jaffer's Test match batting career, showing runs scored (red bars) and the average of the last ten innings (blue line).

An opening batsman, with the style ofMohammed Azharuddin,much was expected of Jaffer as he entered Test cricket for in a home series againstSouth Africain 2000. However, the experienced bowlersShaun PollockandAllan Donaldproved too difficult for him to cope with, and he managed just 46 runs from his four innings. He would not start another international match for some time, eventually returning in May 2002 for a tour of theWest Indies.Jaffer had a respectable series, making 51 inBridgetownand 86 atAntigua.He had done enough to be included in the Indian squad for their tour of England the following summer but, despite a half century atLord's,he struggled in his other innings and was dropped after two Tests.

Jaffer was recalled to the Test squad for the tour ofPakistan2005–06 in the wake of excellent domestic form, but did not play in the Tests. It was in the next series in India that Jaffer scored his maiden Test century: exactly 100 againstEnglandatNagpur,in his first Test since his recall.

He made his first Test double-century at theAntigua Recreation Groundagainst the West Indies in June 2006.His 212 was made in over 500 minutes during the second innings was the equal second highest by an Indian batsman in the Caribbean.

In July 2006, his position as India's first-choice opener with partnerVirender Sehwagwas confirmed via the award of a central contract (Grade C) by theBoard of Control for Cricket in India.

Jaffer's ODI debut came in November 2006 against South Africa but he was unproductive and was immediately dropped. However, he continued to score in the Test format, making his third Test century against South Africa atNewlands.

Despite making a pair in the opening Test of his next series against Bangladesh at Chittagong, he returned to form with 138 in the following Test before retiring hurt.

Jaffer scored 202 in the first innings of the second Testof the 2007 series against Pakistan atEden Gardens,Kolkata.

External links

• Wasim JafferatESPNcricinfo