Wasim Jaffer and Shaun Tait in the race for Punjab Ranji Trophy Head Coach Role

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Punjab is set to name their new coach for the upcoming domestic season, and the race for the role is heating up as two international stars are the final two contenders.

And even surprisingly, it is a battle between India and Australia. Former India opener Wasim Jaffer and Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait are vying for the position of head coach for Punjab's Ranji Trophy team.

The Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) received over 45 applicants for the head coach job. They are yet to finalize the personnel but confirmed to name the next coach in the coming week.

"We have received over 45 applicants for the head coach role of the Punjab senior team. Two of the prominent names are former India opener Wasim Jaffer and former Australia speedster Shaun Tait. The process is still underway and we will announce the name by next week," a PCA official was quoted as saying by Indian Express.

Former Mumbai player Aavishkar Salvi is the departing coach, who took the Punjab job in 2022. Under Salvi's leadership, Punjab reached the knockout stages of all three domestic tournaments in the 2022-23 season. They made it to the semi-finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and the quarter-finals of both the Vijay Hazare Trophy and Ranji Trophy. They also won the Mushtaq Ali Trophy last year, ending a three-decade-long wait for a domestic trophy.

Wasim Jaffer, who retired in March 2020, is the leading run-scorer in Ranji Trophy history. He has previously coached Uttarakhand and Odisha and was also involved with Bangladesh's U-19 team. Jaffer also worked as the batting coach for Punjab Kings in the IPL.

If selected, Shaun Tait would bring his experience as a former Australian speedster to Punjab's coaching setup. His international experience could provide valuable insights to Punjab's bowlers. And strikingly, Tait won't be the first foreign coach for Punjab as former Pakistan player Intikhab Alam coached the Punjab senior team in 2004.