Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) has appointed Wasim Jaffer as Mentor – Cricketing Activities for a two-year term. The former India opener, who will assume the role on August 1, will oversee all senior and age-group teams.

Since retiring from cricket in 2020, Jaffer – the highest run-scorer in Ranji Trophy history with 12,038 runs – has built an impressive coaching resume alongside his work as a cricket pundit, including gigs with Punjab, Uttarakhand, Odisha and Vidarbha.

The 48-year-old has also served as a batting consultant with Bangladesh men’s Under-19 side and as batting coach of Punjab Kings during the 2019 and 2023 IPL seasons.

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“I played with him, I’ve grown up seeing him play, I know how his mind works and how disciplined he is. Nobody knows the domestic circuit as well as he does. We wanted to bring positivity and guide talented players in the right direction, and Wasim Jaffer is the best person for it,” Ambati Rayudu, HCA’s Head of Cricket Operations, told Sportstar.

Jaffer will also conduct coaching clinics for both players and coaches.

“He will be travelling with the teams. Maybe two games for Ranji Trophy, one game with Under-23, one game with Under-16 and so on. We want to inculcate a winning mindset and bring a good cricketing culture here. Not only to the players, but also the coaches. We want to maximise his services,” Rayudu added.

Rayudu also said HCA might look to retain continuity with the existing head coaches across its various teams, with Jaffer overseeing the overall cricketing programme.

“The only thing Jaffer wanted was freedom to do his work without any interference from the association and we gave him that guarantee, which is what convinced him. We are here to take care of him and he is here to take care of our players,” HCA Secretary Jeevan Reddy said.

Improving infrastructure across multiple districts is also on the HCA’s to-do list, with around 7-8 acres earmarked for each project.

“We will have district academies and grounds, which will include dormitories as well as basic facilities. The eight districts we identified are Adilabad, Karimnagar, Kammam, Avavnagar, Medak, Nalgonda, Nizambad and Warangal,” Rayudu explained.

In addition, HCA plans to establish four Centres of Excellence catering to the north, south, east and west regions of Telangana. The facilities, proposed in Suryapet, Jagityal, Nagarkurnool and Zaheerabad, will follow BCCI’s standards and will each span 15 acres.

Published on Jun 29, 2026