'Never Invited Maulvis To Camp, Offered Namaaz Only After Training': Wasim Jaffer After Stepping Down As Uttarakhand Coach

Former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer said he wanted to make Jay Bista the captain of Uttarakhand state cricket team but team officials were keen to make Iqbal Abdulla the skipper.

Wasim Jaffer (PIC/Twitter account)

Mumbai: Dismissing allegations of trying to force religion-based selections in the Uttarakhand state team, former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer said he quit the coaching job because of biased nature of selectors-secretary towards non-deserving players. 

Jaffer said he was extremely hurt over communal allegations levelled upon him.

"The communal angle that has been brought up is very, very sad," Jaffer said in a virtual press conference. "They accused me of favouring Iqbal Abdulla, I wanted to make him as the captain, which is completely wrong," he stressed.

"I wanted to make Jay Bista the captain, but Rizwan Shamshad and the other selectors suggested that you make Iqbal the captain since he is senior player and has played IPL and is much older...I agreed to their recommendation."

 Jaffer said the team used to recite a chant of Sikh community to which he suggested they can say "Go Uttarakhand" instead. 

 

Wasim Jaffar is a celebrated name in Indian domestic cricket.

The 42-year-old, who played 31 Tests for India and is a celebrated name in domestic cricket, said the charge that he favoured Muslim players, which was levelled by Cricket Association of Uttarakhand secretary Mahim Verma in a media report, had caused him immense pain.

‘Never brought Maulvis to the team’s net practice’

Wasim Jaffer dismissed allegations that he brought Maulvis (Muslim religious scholars) to the team's training camp. "First of all they said the Maulavis came there in a bio-bubble and we offered Namaz. Let me clear tis out, the Maulavi, Maulana, who came on two or three Fridays during the camp in Dehradun, were not invited me.”

"It was Iqbal Abdulla (Uttarakhand player) who sought mine and the manager's permission only for the Friday prayer," he said referring to the 31-year-old all-rounder, who has competed in the IPL but hasn't represented India yet, reported PTI.

‘Namaaz was offered after the team’s training’

42-year-old Jaffer said he failed to understand why it is has become a boiling issue when the prayers took place after the team’s training. "While our prayers are conducted in the dressing room, the Friday prayers have to be done in a gathering so he thought it would be better if someone comes over to facilitate...And we did the namaz in the dressing room for five minutes after the nets.

"If I was communal, I would have altered the practice timings according to our prayer timings but that's not how I am," he added.

Jaffer took up the role of the head coach of the Uttarakhand state team in June 2020. He had signed a one-year contract with CAU. Uttarakhand had just managed to win only one out of their 5 matches in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.