Wasim Jaffer had ability to attack without opposition realizing it, reveals Sachin Tendulkar
Legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar praised the ability of recently-retired Mumbai batsman Wasim Jaffer to play attacking cricket without the opposition realizing it. Sachin lauded Jaffer’s calm nature and temperament while also reminiscing of the times Jaffer played in the Indian side.
After 260 appearances and 19,410 runs at an average of 50.67 at the first-class level, Jaffer or the king of Indian domestic cricket as he is otherwise known, called time on his career on March 7. Since his debut in 1996-97, he has been part of 10 title-winning campaigns — eight with Mumbai and the last two with Vidarbha. As a former teammate of his, Sachin has fond memories of the tall opening batsman, who was widely perceived as a defensive player.
“He (Wasim) was a batsman who attacked a lot. He was never a defensive player. Wasim possessed that quality while he was attacking, the opposition didn't realize that they were being attacked. Only when they looked at the scoreboard did they realise that he's off to a flier. For any team, his was one of the top wickets. He was always a threat, if you didn't dismiss him early, then one had to prepare for a long fielding session,” Sachin told TOI.
At the international level, Jaffer played 31 Tests between 2000 and 2008, scoring 1,944 runs at an average of 34.01 with five centuries and 11 half-centuries. He hit his highest Test score of 212 against West Indies at Antigua in 2006, before a superb 202 against Pakistan at Kolkata the following year. Sachin pointed out that the right-hander was a top-class player against fast-bowling.
“I remember the time when he was a part of the Indian team. We practised together quite a bit. I always believed we worked together as a team and I got that time to spend with him. We shared a number of things with each other. One of his top qualities is that he had so much time to play fast bowling. That's an important element for any player, especially an opening batter. He batted so well for his hundred against South Africa in Cape Town, as also for his double century against Pakistan in Kolkata,” he added.
Overall, Jaffer holds a slew of domestic records, including Ranji appearances (156), aggregate (12,038 runs), most centuries (40) and catches (200) — and in Sachin’s words, it is high-time to celebrate his memorable career.
“It's the time to celebrate the career of Wasim Jaffer. For any player to be able to play for such a long time and perform consistently well is a testament to his commitment and dedication. He has been a fantastic ambassador for cricket. His contribution to Mumbai cricket has been incredible,” Sachin concluded.
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