Wasim Jaffer and Shaun Tait in race to become head coach of Punjab Ranji Trophy team

Wasim Jaffer and Shaun Tait are in the race to become the next head coach of the Punjab senior side for the upcoming domestic season.

“We have received over 45 applicants for the head coach role of the Punjab senior team. Two of the prominent names are former India opener Wasim Jaffer and former Australia speedster Shaun Tait. The process is still underway and we will announce the name by next week,” a Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) official told The Indian Express.

Between Jaffer and Tait, the one will replace Aavishkar Salvi, who took over the reins in August 2022. Under Salvi, a former India seamer, Punjab had made it to the knockouts of all three domestic tournaments in the 2022-23 season. They reached the last four stage of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the quarter-finals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the quarter-finals of the Ranji Trophy as well.

Punjab finally won the trophy after they defeated Baroda in the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy last year, ending a 30-year trophy drought. Punjab’s previous domestic title was the Ranji Trophy in 1992-93.

Will Jaffer replace his Mumbai teammate?

Following his retirement in March 2020, Jaffer, who is the leading run-scorer in Ranji Trophy, had coached Uttarakhand and Odisha. Wasim Jaffer had previously worked as the chief coach of Uttarakhand and Odisha and was also the coach of Bangladesh U-19 team. Jaffer’s stint with Uttarakhand had come to an abrupt end after unsavoury allegations of communal bias that he vehemently denied. Former teammates like Anil Kumble had sprung to his defence, then.

Jaffer, who played 31 Tests and two ODIs, is also the batting coach of the Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League and was also coach of the Bangladesh U-19 team.

The Mumbai stalwart later played for Vidarbha towards the end of his illustrious career winning back-to-back Ranji Trophy and the Irani Cup.

Mandeep likely to move to Tripura

The Indian Express also understands that the senior batter Mandeep Singh, under whose captaincy Punjab had won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy last year is set to join Tripura for the upcoming Indian domestic season. The 32-year-old has played three ODIs for India.

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