Punjab Kings (PK) have once again reshuffled their backroom staff as the latest call sees the return of Wasim Jaffer as the batting coach of the side for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season. Jaffer, a legend of domestic cricket in India, will take over as the batting coach for his second stint having previously guided the team before the 2021 seaosn. Along with Jaffer, PK have also roped in South African former speedster Charl Langeveldt and Australia former wicketkeeper batter Brad Haddin as bowling and assistant coach respectively.
Jaffer returns to Punjab Kings
Jaffer was the batting coach of Punjab Kings between 2019 to 2021 but stepped down from his role before the 2022 auction. Last year, Punjab Kings hired a power-hitting coach Mark Wood. However, he will again be back in the Punjab dugout for the upcoming season.
"Jiska tha besabri se intezaar (The one you had been waiting for), introducing our Batting Coach, Wasim Jaffer!," Punjab Kings tweeted from their official handle.
Jaffer’s legacy
In July 2021, Jaffer was appointed as the chief coach of the Odisha Ranji team following which he took up a role with the Bangladesh U-19 side. Jaffer represented India in 31 Test matches during which he scored 1944 runs including a best of 212 against the West Indies in June 2006 at St John's. However, it was the domestic circuit where he made a name for himself.
In 260 first-class matches, Jaffer scored 19410 runs and is considered a legend of the game in the Indian domestic circuit. He helped both Mumbai and Vidarbha clinch glory in the Ranji Trophy and has been an excellent servant to the game. In a short ODI career, Jaffer played for India in two matches and scored a mere 10 runs.
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Mayank Agarwal released by PK
Following yet another season in which they failed to make the final four, the Kings have rung in changes, releasing nine players at the end of the retention deadline day on November 15. Apart from Agarwal and Odean Smith, none of their other releases were major players in their first XI last season, and Kings go into the IPL 2023 auction, slated for December 23, with the second-highest purse of INR 32.2 crore.
