Coach’s nationality doesn’t make a difference: Misbah

Captain lauds Whatmore’s role in Pakistan’s resurgence.

KOLKATA:

Dav Whatmore is yet to finish his first year with the Pakistan team but his presence is already being reflected in the results and the show of strength on the field, according to Pakistan captain Misbahul Haq.

Whatmore took charge early last year, replacing interim coach Mohsin Khan, who took Pakistan to series-wins in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh before the famous Test-series whitewash over England in the UAE. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was keen to appoint an experienced individual who had trained international teams in the past.

“Whatmore has brought about a change in attitude,” said Misbah. “He’s backing the captains, he’s backing the players, including the youngsters and that’s a good thing for us. When a coach joins in a professional capacity, his job is to improve the team and the players. It doesn’t matter where he’s from. It depends on the players how they benefit from him.”

Whatmore’s first assignment was last year’s Asia Cup which Pakistan won after beating Bangladesh in the final. A disappointing tour of Sri Lanka followed where Pakistan lost the One-Day International (ODI) and Test series followed by an ODI series-loss to Australia in the UAE. Mohammad Hafeez did lead his side to the Twenty20 series-win over Australia and to the 2012 World Twenty20 semi-finals ahead of the tour to India.

Dhoni backs foreign coach too

Meanwhile, the under-fire MS Dhoni has also backed his side’s international coach Duncan Fletcher in wake of the recent stinging criticism aimed at the pair.

Critics have called for Fletcher’s sacking as well, asking him to be replaced with a local coach.

“Local or foreign doesn’t make a difference, it’s the players’ responsibility to perform,” said Dhoni. “The coach doesn’t go out in the middle. He can guide the players and help them. If he sees an issue with the players, he goes and tells him and asks them to work extra on the problem. End of the day, it’s up to the individual to respond to that and it’s wrong to go out and blame just the coach for the team’s poor show.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2013.