Cricket: Ajmal apologises to 'hurt' Whatmore for remarks

The coach has accepted the apology, saying that the context and meaning of Ajmal's remarks were now clear.

LAHORE: Spin magician Saeed Ajmal apologised to coach Dav Whatmore for his remarks during an interview on Wednesday in which he said there was no difference between Whatmore and a local coach - apart from his pay packet and the language.

Ajmal, 36, had told Geo Super television that Whatmore "doesn't know our language much".

Asked what he thought the differences were between a local and a foreign coach, Ajmal replied: "There is no difference, just that we are paying more to him, otherwise there is no difference.

"Dav is a foreign coach, he doesn't know our language much, but he has done coaching for various countries and has helped them win," said Ajmal.

After Ajmal's comments were published online, Whatmore tweeted that he was 'deeply upset and hurt' over the remarks:

Just read Ajmal's quotes. Deeply upset and hurt by his remarks. Just when you think you know someone!!

— Dav Whatmore (@dfwhatmore) October 2, 2013

The spinner then personally apologised to his coach, after which Whatmore tweeted again:

Ajmal has personally come to apologise to me and explained the context of what he ment and I have accepted.

— Dav Whatmore (@dfwhatmore) October 2, 2013

He also said that Ajmal was a very nice person but had merely 'fallen prey to a few tricky questions'.

Whatmore, who played seven Tests for Australia, has regularly come under fire in Pakistan from former stars who say a local would do a better job of coaching the erratic national side.

The pressure grew on the 59-year-old after Pakistan's humiliating defeat against Zimbabwe last month, with the daunting prospect of a series against world number one Test team South Africa just around the corner.

In his interview, Ajmal had praised previous coaches Waqar Younis and Mohsin Khan for a better handling of the team.

"Waqar handled us better. He used to emphasise the fitness of the players," he said about the former paceman, who was coach from March 2010 to September 2011.

Former opener Mohsin Hasan Khan then took over and guided Pakistan to a 3-0 win over then-world number one England in the UAE early last year.

But Ajmal insisted he was not unhappy with Whatmore, who coached Sri Lanka to a famous World Cup victory in 1996, which was played at Lahore's Gaddafi stadium.

"I am not saying that I am not satisfied, he (Whatmore) is a good coach and helped Sri Lanka lift the World Cup," said Ajmal.

Whatmore's two-year contract ends in February next year and the chances of his deal being renewed are remote. Ajmal said the Pakistan Cricket Board should consult players when they appoint a replacement.

Whatmore, considered to be one of the most sought after coaches in world cricket at one point in time given his success with Sri Lanka in the 1996 world cup and then taking a hapless Bangladesh to relative success when the managed to pull surprises over top ranked sides like Australia and South Africa.