The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials will meet Dav Whatmore in January to finalise a coaching contract. The former Australian player will reach Pakistan in 2012 and is likely to take charge of the team after the England series. “We are in discussions with [Dev] Whatmore,” Subhan Ahmed, the PCB’s chief operating officer was quoted by cricinfo. “In fact, we have called him next month to negotiate and hope to reach a final agreement with him.”
Earlier, the PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf had stated, “We have yet to take a decision on the appointment of the new coaching staff. It is not my call to name a coach as I have appointed an expert team of former Test cricketers to decide. I have told them to find the best candidate.” Pakistan have been without a regular coach since Waqar Younis’ resignation this year following the Zimbabwean tour. The legendary fast bowler did a terrific job for his side and held everyone together despite a lot of controversies in 2010. He left the team on a high note, whitewashing Zimbabwe in all three formats of the game.
Since Waqar’s exit, Pakistan’s chief selector Mohsin Hasan Khan has been given charge of the team as an interim coach. He has shown interest in becoming a regular, but the PCB wants an experienced person to handle the responsibility. This is why Whatmore seems to be the most ideal candidate to become the head coach of Pakistan. He is considered to be the mastermind behind Sri Lanka’s World Cup victory in 1996 and also took the challenge of working for Bangladesh, team which beat India in the group stages of the ICC World Cup in 2007.
However, the 57-year-old did not coach any international side after that and is currently associated with the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Other than Whatmore, the cricket authorities in Pakistan are also looking to hire a foreign fielding coach. Julian Fountain is the likely candidate for that role and has been involved with the Men in Green in the past as well in 2001 and 2007. If he comes to an agreement with the PCB, he will join the team during the Pak-Eng series in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
