‘Dave Whatmore interested in coaching Pakistan’

KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Nasim Ashraf said on Wednesday that Bangladesh’s outgoing coach Dav Whatmore has shown an interest in coaching Pakistan.Ashraf said that Whatmore has talked to Pakistani officials recently and sounds interested in signing as the national team coach later this summer.

The PCB chief said that Pakistan would make it sure that the best coach is selected to train the national team which flopped miserably in the World Cup.Whatmore, 53, is regarded as one of the top coaches in international cricket after a successful stint with former world champions Sri Lanka as well as the current one with Bangladesh.

Pakistan have been looking for a new coach in recent weeks after losing Bob Woolmer in March. Woolmer, 58, was found seemingly lifeless in his hotel room in Kingston (Jamaica) on March 18 and was later pronounced dead at a local hospital there. Jamaican authorities later announced that the Pakistani coach was murdered.The PCB officials last month posted an advertisement in national and international web portals which said that they were looking for a qualified coach with solid credentials to succeed Woolmer.The Colombo-born Whatmore fits the description as the former Australian Test batsman has achieved splendid results as a top coach.

He masterminded Sri Lanka’s memorable World Cup triumph in 1996. Whatmore later had a brief spell at Lancashire where he saw them win a one-day double in 1998, and the National League in 1999.He returned as Sri Lanka’s coach for a second stint. In 2003, he took over as Bangladesh’s coach, and was able to bring a marked improvement in their performance in Tests and one-dayers. Bangladesh did better than both Pakistan and India in the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean. He decided to quit after the World Cup and showed interest in coaching India.

Like Whatmore, John Wright, a former New Zealand Test cricketer who once coached India, is also said to be interested in taking over as Pakistan coach. The home-grown Aaqib Javed is also included in the list of strong candidates for the job.

The Board has set May 15 as the deadline for CVs after which a three-man committee would make its recommendation following interviews with short-listed candidates. The PCB is expected to decide on a coach next month and plans to award him a contract starting from July 1.