LAHORE – The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) committee formed to select head coach and other coaches will meet Wednesday (today) to finalise the coaches list and will present it to PCB chief Zaka Ashraf for his approval, it is reliably learnt.
The meeting will be chaired by its chairman Intikhab Alam while Zaheer Abbas, Col (R) Naushad Ali and Rameez Raja will also be present in the meeting to finalise the candidates list. It is also learnt that committee had finalised the names of candidates unanimously and picked Dav Whatmore as the head coach to replace Waqar Younis who resigned citing ailing health. Julian Fountain has been selected as fielding coach while Aaqib Javed has been selected as bowling coach and Sabih Azhar batting coach, the source added.
Sabih is presently named Under-19 team coach that will leave for South Africa to participate in the tri-series involving South Africa, Zimbabwe and Pakistan, the source said. Whatmore is the number one choice and would reach Lahore on January 14 to formally sign agreement with the board, the source added.
“Whatmore has had most of his demands accepted by the board including the one that he will have say in selection matters and on his pay scale,” the source stated. It also said that Whatmore had assured the PCB he would remain in Pakistan and work at the National Cricket Academy when he is free of commitments with the national team. “Some senior players were not pleased with the board’s decision to appoint Whatmore as head coach as are reportedly not happy because of Whatmore’s reputation as a hard task master and having attitude problems,” the source added.
It appears that the PCB is not paying heed to the complaints of the few senior players who don’t want Whatmore as their new head coach. The source said that the PCB had obtained due clearance from the concerned quarters including the interior ministry before inviting Whatmore.
“Until now all negotiations on behalf of the board with Whatmore were carried out by former Test captain Rameez, who is assisting the committee formed by the board to scrutinise, identify, shortlist and recommend the names of potential coaches,” the source said.
The source informed that Rameez had held all negotiations with Whatmore and had recommended him finally to the board along with the committee.
The PCB is following the footsteps of the other cricket boards who have foreign coaches except Cricket South Africa that has appointed countryman Gary Kirsten as head coach. Australia have Micky Arthur of South Africa, India have Duncan Fletcher of England, England have Andy Flower of Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka have Stuart Law of Australia and Bangladesh have Geoff Marsh of Australia.
Meanwhile, Dav Whatmore has been issued a visit visa by the Pakistan embassy in Canberra, clearing the way for his scheduled visit to Lahore this month to finalise his contractual terms with the PCB.
A PCB source confirmed that the board through proper channels has managed to get a visa issued for Whatmore, who is presently in Canberra. “He will come to Lahore around January 14 or 15th,” the source said.
The source also confirmed that Whatmore is the sole candidate for the position of head coach of the national team and will join the Pakistan team for the Asia Cup to be held from March 1-12 in Bangladesh.
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