In spite of being the highest run-getter in Ranji Trophy, nobody wanted to sign me, says Wasim Jaffer
Former India opener Wasim Jaffer had lamented that in spite of being the highest run-scorer in the Ranji Trophy, none of the teams came forward to sign him up in 2017. He has also added that he pleaded Vidarbha to get him in for free but they refused to accept him until Pandit had become the coach.
Wasim Jaffer had played 31 Tests for India about 11 years ago but continued to be an integral member of the Mumbai set-up ever since he made his debut in 1996 and had captained the side too. He switched to Vidarbha in 2015-16 Ranji Trophy season after an uncertain future with Mumbai especially after the emergence of star players in the form of Shreyas Iyer and Siddesh Lad. The transition period for him was demanding.
"It was disappointing, but I worked hard on my fitness. I was lucky that Vidarbha took me as a professional, and the rest, as they say, is history. I had some weight issues for the last year or two. I wasn't strict with my diet. A friend in England told me that you eat whatever you want to, but only till 6 pm. And it has helped me. I've lost a lot of kilos, and feel fit & healthy.“
The former India opener revealed that in the 2016-17 season, he was injured and was undergoing rehabilitation and that he was asked to work as a regular employee by his sponsors, Indian Oil. Jaffer further said that he had won the Petroleum sector tournament and the Times Shield despite which he was needed to get back to playing the Ranji Trophy to get re-categorized into sports.
“I'm indebted to Indian Oil and especially Rajesh Jadhav and Raju Lele. They took me under their wings and gave me a job in 1998 when I was just 20. Without their support, things wouldn't have been easy, because earlier in my career, just buying a bat was difficult for my family,” Jaffer was quoted as saying in an interview with the ToI.
“My two-year contract with Vidarbha was done. I pleaded with them that I wanted to continue to play for them. However, they plainly refused. I told them I was willing to play for free. I wanted to finish my career at Vidarbha. I was the highest run-getter in Ranji Trophy, but no team wanted to sign me up. That was an eye-opener for me. Luckily for me, Mumbai removed Pandit as their coach, and Vidarbha signed him up. I called him up and told him that I was interested in playing for Vidarbha, even if it was for free. He spoke to Prashant Vaidya, and they agreed, “ Jaffer remarked.
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