Record Ranji Trophy Scorer Wasim Jaffer Appointed Odisha Coach

Odisha head coach Wasim Jaffer

Bhubaneswar: Wasim Jaffer has been appointed coach of the Odisha senior cricket team for 2021-23.

The former India opener replaces former Odisha Ranji player Rashmi Ranjan Parida.

The 43-year-old Jaffer is the most successful batsman in Ranji Trophy history, with 12,038 runs in a first-class career spanning 24 years. In fact he is the only batsman to aggregate over 10,000 runs in Ranji Trophy. He also holds the record for most number of centuries (40) in India’s top domestic competition.

He played 31 Test matches for India, scoring 1944 runs at an average of 34.10, with 5 centuries and 11 fifties.

Jaffer, who retired from first-class cricket in March 2020, was appointed coach of Uttarakhand last season. But he got embroiled in a controversy and quit, alleging too much interference from state selectors in team selection.

There were reports that some officials of Cricket Association of Uttarakhand accused Jaffer of communalism and said he was causing religious division within the team.