In Pics: Indian domestic cricket king Wasim Jaffer’s journey so far

At a chawl in the bowels of Bandra, amidst what used to be a transit camp, there lived a bus driver in a small shanty. A fan of fast bowler Ramakant Desai and the Pakistani opening batsmen Hanif Mohammad, he would be glued to cricket on the radio. He had just one wish — that at least one of his four sons would play cricket for India. One son, Kalim, had the talent but the family didn’t have the means to support him. (FILE)

His international cricket journey is well known — the double century in the West Indies, the special hundred in Cape Town, South Africa, and the runs in England, every time there was a worry about his inconsistency, he would bounce back with a torrent of runs in domestic cricket. But it was the 2008 series in Australia that, he reckons, eventually ended his India career. (FILE)

Wasim Jaffer became the first player in Indian cricket to feature in 150 Ranji matches as he took the field during Vidarbha's Group A opener against Andhra Pradesh in November 2019. (FILE)

One of the reasons he has continued to play for so many years (he turns 41 next week) is the fear of what would happen to him if he quits. He is an employee of Indian Oil and he dreads the day he would have to start a “9 to 5” work schedule. Just the thought of it stirs dread in Jaffer. (DILE)

Playing as opening batsman, Jaffer represented India in 31 Tests between 2000 and 2008, scoring 1944 runs, including five hundreds and 11 fifties. (FILE)

A 10-year-old boy who was told he should play for India. A 12-year-old who realised he had to be successful in cricket if he wanted to pull his family out of financial distress. A 15-year-old who dreaded coming home if he hadn’t scored runs, not because he was scared of his family, but because his batting was the barometer of the family’s mood. (FILE)

Wasim Jaffer, the highest individual run-getter in the Ranji Trophy, has switched to Vidarbha from his home team Mumbai. (FILE)

The 42-year-old, who played his last Ranji match in February 2020, hung his boots with 19410 runs under his belt. (FILE)

Jaffer has never ended up on the losing side in a Ranji final. He has scored heavily and influenced the fortunes of the victorious sides. (BCCI)

Wasim Jaffer was appointed as the batting coach of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kings XI Punjab. He has also been part of the IPl when he played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the inaugural edition of the league in 2008. (FILE)

Wasim Jaffer, who recently quit as Uttarakhand coach owing to a dispute with the state association, on Wednesday rejected allegations by the body’s officials that he tried to force religion-based selections in the team. (FILE)