Whatmore tells Pakistan to toughen up

Coach wants team to close the deal from winning position.

Pakistan head coach Dav Whatmore has warned the team against complacency when they come up against an out-of-sorts Australia side, advising the players to ‘keep their heads’ in the upcoming series in the UAE.

Pakistan face Australia who endured a difficult time against England, going down 4-0 in the five-match ODI series but Whatmore was quick to brush off their recent form.

“Whatever team is put out by the Australians will always be a competitive one,” Whatmore told Pakpassion.net. “Yes they’ve had some injury problems but we’ll expect a fight in every match.”

Whatmore, whose first assignment with the Pakistan team was the Asia Cup that brought immediate success, then saw his team lose the ODI and Test series against Sri Lanka, while levelling the Twenty20s with the hosts. The former Australia cricketer said the tour, which saw Pakistan lose a couple of ODIs after settling into a winning position, was a wake-up call for the team.

“The results in Sri Lanka could have been better. We were an ODI win from having a really good tour. But we need to keep our heads and close the deal after playing ourselves into winning positions.”

Meanwhile, speaking on the return of wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, who was recalled to the ODI and Twenty20 squads, Whatmore said his experience will come in handy.

“He brings experience and flexibility to both formats. His inclusion strengthens the team and provides additional options for the captain.”

Whatmore added that Pakistan were well-placed for the World Twenty20 that starts on September 18 in Sri Lanka.“I remain confident of doing well. All teams give this format due importance ... something that wasn’t evident in the past. It will come down to very small margins that will separate the teams. A little bit of luck will also play a part.”

Pakistan play three ODIs, with the first starting on August 28, before contesting the same number of Twenty20s against Australia.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2012.