Cricket: Whatmore a step closer to appointment

Austra­lian meets Intikh­ab in Lahore.

LAHORE: Dav Whatmore, the man tipped to become Pakistan’s next coach, arrived for an interview in Lahore, moving a step closer to taking the sport’s hot seat.

The 57-year-old former Australia batsman, who coached Sri Lanka to World Cup glory in 1996, is favourite to replace Waqar Younis who quit the post in September last year over health issues.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appointed its chief selector and former opener Mohsin Khan as an interim coach against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh but had to extend his stint in charge for the series against England as the selection process was delayed. Meanwhile, the PCB-appointed coach-hunting committee, headed by Intikhab Alam, shortlisted five candidates for the post.

“Whatmore has reached and we’ll talk to him on the issue,” said Alam.

Whatmore, who also coached Bangladesh between 2003 and 2007, resigned from his role as coach of the Indian Premier League side Kolkata Knight Riders earlier this month. England’s former county player Julian Fountain is in contention to take over as fielding coach, while former Pakistan paceman Aaqib Javed is the likely bowling coach.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2012.