The Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) has appointed former India international Wasim Jaffer as the head coach of their senior men’s team for the upcoming domestic season. PCA president Amarjeet Singh Mehta confirmed the news to Sportstar, stating that their primary objective is to win the Ranji Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. They believe Jaffer’s experience and expertise will be instrumental in motivating the team to achieve success.
Jaffer was chosen among a pool of candidates due to his extensive experience in red-ball cricket. Mehta emphasized, “He is one of the best longer format players in the country and we did not want to miss out on the opportunity of having him on board.” The PCA CEO, Deepak Sharma, formally communicated the decision to Jaffer via email on Friday. Jaffer has been requested to be available from August 2, 2024, to March 31, 2025, or until the completion of BCCI tournaments, whichever comes first.
Punjab had a successful previous season, winning the Vijay Hazare Trophy under captaincy of Mandeep Singh, with Aavishkar Salvi as coach. However, Salvi joined the National Cricket Academy this season and is now the bowling coach of India’s women’s cricket team. Mandeep Singh has since moved to Tripura.
While Punjab achieved success in white-ball cricket, they are looking to improve consistency in red-ball cricket, which is why they opted for Jaffer. The 46-year-old holds the record for most runs in the history of the Ranji Trophy, with 12038 runs in 238 innings.
There are rumors about former Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait being brought in as the bowling coach, but Mehta confirmed that no decision has been made yet. The support staff will be appointed shortly.
