Former India opener Wasim Jaffer has applied for the vacant senior national selector's post in men's cricket, putting himself in contention for a position that was left vacant after the BCCI decided against renewing Ajit Agarkar's contract.
"Yes, I have applied for the job," Jaffer told PTI.
The 48-year-old Jaffer played 31 Tests and hit five centuries, including double-tons against West Indies and Pakistan. His Test career was from 2000 to 2008, and he scored 1944 runs at an average of 34.10. In ODIs, Jaffer played only two matches in 2006.
Jaffer, though, has a strong pedigree in domestic cricket. He is the highest run-getter in Ranji Trophy history and has scored the most centuries in the competition's history. In all first-class cricket, he has scored 19410 runs and hit 57 centuries across 260 matches at an average of more than 50. He started his senior cricket career with Mumbai in the 1996-97 season and retired from all cricket representing Vidarbha.
If selected by the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) that comprises Ashok Malhotra and Jatin Paranjape, Jaffer would have the highest number of Test appearances among the candidates being considered for the chairman's position, and would therefore be the chair.
Jaffer has played seven Tests more than Pragyan Ojha, who has 24 Test caps. Apart from Ojha, the other selectors currently are RP Singh, Ajay Ratra and Shiv Sunder Das.