The Pakistan Cricket Board on Sunday confirmed the appointment Australian Dav Whatmore as the head coach of the team. Whatmore signed a two-year contract with the PCB making him the fourth foreign coach to have been attached with the Pakistan cricket team after Englishmen Richard Pybus and Bob Woolmer and Australian Geoff Lawson. Englishman Julian Fountain would be assisting Whatmore as a fielding coach, informed PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf here at the National Cricket Academy.
The two-men would take immediate charge of the team and prepare them for the Asia Cup tournament later this month.
“We have reached an agreement with Whatmore who will be the new coach of the Pakistan team for the next two years,” Zaka said in a press conference.
“We wanted the best for the team and now want him to take the team new heights in the world cricket. Our main target is the World Cup and we want Pakistan to be the number one team in the world,” said Zaka.
“We feel that Whatmore would bring the best out of the Pakistan team and properly utlise the talent the Pakistan cricket have,” believed Zaka
Whatmore, who led Sri Lanka to victory at the 1996 World Cup, said he was looking forward to the challenge, adding: “We will do our best to produce the best results with our available talent and I am confident of good results.”
Whatmore, 57, played seven tests for Australia and enjoyed a successful coaching spell with Bangladesh, leading them to their first test match and subsequent series win in 2005.
Chief selector Mohsin Khan had been in place as interim Pakistan coach after Waqar Younis resigned in September for personal and health reasons.
He was highly appreciated and recommended as the right person due to his international record; guiding Sri Lanka to win the World Cup; grooming Bangladeshi team enough to reach the second round of the 2007 World Cup.
The PCB advertised for the post of head coach last year after former coach Waqar Younis resigned due to personal and health issues.
Intikhab Alam, head of the PCB coaching committee, made it clear to the media that any contract with the Australian coach would only be signed after his meeting with the PCB Chairman Zaka Asharf.
Soon after signing the contract, Whatmore, selection committee and captain Misbah-ul-Haq discussed the finalisation of the team for the upcoming Asia Cup.
The PCB sources revealed that he met Misbah after his arrival at National Cricket Academy to discuss team selection matters.
He also applied for the slot in 2007 when Pakistan advertised for the job but at that time his Australian fellow Geoff Lawson was preferred over him.
In spite of all his efforts and results, PCB chairman Ashraf made it publicly clear that they wanted a proper and certified coach for the team as part of preparation for World Cup 2014.
Whatmore signs two-year contract with Pakistan cricket
