Dav Whatmore is expected to be appointed as Zimbabwe’s coach ahead of the 2015 World Cup, replacing Stephen Mangongo who was sacked from the position earlier in December after a five-month tenure.
The support staff will also include a new batting coach, who is yet to be named, and Douglas Hondo as bowling coach, with an extension to Whatmore’s deal due to be negotiated after the World Cup. A Zimbabwe Cricket release stated that Whatmore is “arriving in Harare this evening, for his interview tomorrow”.
The new coach’s primary task will be to ensure Zimbabwe have a better tournament than they did in 2011, where they only managed to beat the Associates in their group and lost heavily against the other Full Members. ESPNcricinfo also understands that ZC is in talks with Canada to play a series of fifty-over matches ahead of the World Cup.
Whatmore has previously been in charge of Asian sides Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Under Whatmore, Sri Lanka won the 1996 World Cup and Pakistan claimed the 2012 Asia Cup. During the 2007 World Cup, Whatmore led Bangladesh to victories over India and South Africa, helping the team reach the Super Eights.
Since 2000, Zimbabwe have lurched from one crisis to another – most notably a six-year self-imposed exile from the longest format. After their Test comeback in 2011, they have enjoyed limited success including wins over Bangladesh and Pakistan, and an ODI victory over Australia, but they have continued to struggle away from home.
Zimbabwe were blanked 8-0 on their recent tour of Bangladesh, in which they lost all three Tests and all five ODIs – a result that led to Mangongo’s sacking. They have only been on two other tours in the last three years, to New Zealand and West Indies, and lost every match in all formats on both those visits. Their domestic game, meanwhile, has been marred by strikes over non-payment of salaries, and the financial situation still remains unstable.
It is also expected that former Zimbabwe captain Alistair Campbell will rejoin ZC, after resigning as chairman of selectors in 2011. He is likely to return as the board’s managing director of cricket, essentially an overseeing role. Givemore Makoni will retain his position as convener of selectors over a panel which will include the coach, Hondo, the captain Elton Chigumbura, and Babu Memon, a long-serving administrator and former team manager.
