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Cricket Players'Don't have an idea': Ajinkya Rahane responds to controversy surrounding Wasim Jaffer
It wasn’t a surprise when India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane was asked about his opinion on Jaffer and the charges of religious-bias against him. Rahane, however, shouldered arms and chose not to delve deep into the matter.
Former India opener Wasim Jaffer’s dispute with the Cricket Association of Uttarakhand has been one of the major talking points in Indian cricket in the past couple of days. Naturally, it wasn’t a surprise when India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, who has played a lot of cricket with Jaffer was asked about his opinion on his former teammate and the charges of religious-bias against him. Rahane, however, shouldered arms and chose not to delve deep into the matter.
"Sir, I don't have an idea regarding this issue, what has happened, so I don't think that I should comment on this topic, because I don't have an idea," Rahane said at the virtual press conference on the eve of the second Test against England in Chennai.
Rahane and Jaffer go back a long way. They have shared the dressing room for Mumbai, the West Zone and the Indian Oil Corporation.
The 42-year-old Jaffer, who played 31 Tests for India and is a celebrated name in domestic cricket, said the charge levelled by CAU's secretary Mahim Verma in a media report, had caused him immense pain.
Jaffer had resigned on Tuesday citing "interference and bias of selectors and the association's secretary for non-deserving players" as the reason.
"...jo communal angle lagaya (the communal angle that has been brought up), that is very, very sad," Jaffer had said in a virtual press conference on Wednesday.
"They levelled an allegation that I am in favour of Iqbal Abdulla, I wanted to make Iqbal Abdulla as the captain, which is absolutely wrong," he had asserted.
Jaffer had found support from spin legend Anil Kumble, a former India captain and coach who currently heads the ICC's cricket committee, among others.
Former India players Irfan Pathan, Manoj Tiwary, and former Mumbai batsman Shishir Hattangadi have also stood behind Jaffer on the issue.
(With PTI inputs)
