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-Photo by AFP
KARACHI: Australian Dav Whatmore will replace the Pakistan team’s interim coach Mohsin Khan after their one-day series against England ends this month, a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) source told Reuters on Sunday.
The source said Whatmore would take charge as head coach for the Asia Cup tournament in Bangladesh next month.
“It has been decided to release Mohsin from his coaching assignment after the England series and Whatmore has been chosen as the man to guide our team over the next two years,” the source said.
Whatmore, 57, coached the Sri Lanka side who won the 1996 World Cup.
He coached Bangladesh from 2003 to 2007, leading them to their first test victory in early 2005 against Zimbabwe and also guided them into the super eight stage of the 2007 World Cup where they defeated India and South Africa.
“He will be our coach from the Asia Cup. The Board has also decided to hire English professional coach, Julien Fountain as the fielding coach of the national team,” the source added.
Mohsin coached Pakistan in their 3-0 clean sweep of the test series against the world’s top-ranked side England in the United Arab Emirates this year.
I welcome professional coach for Pak team. Mohsin is good guy and have very good relationship with team and the captain. However, team needs qualified coach not interim coach who has no qualification in this field. for example if you some one have any disease you go to specialist doctor not hakeem? Long term we do need professional coaches to win tournaments like world cup.
Being a global cricket admirer and lover of the game, I have nothing against the new coach in person. He might be a good coach. Furthermore, I am neither related to nor associated with in any way with the current coach of the Pakistani cricket team directly or indirectly, knowingly or unknowingly implicitly or explicitly. Nevertheless, from the perspective of the 'green-shirts' and the current state-of-affairs related to Misbah-ul-Haq and associates especially in the aftermath of the last 18 months or so, no doubt this is a bad, immature, hasty and unprofessional decision on part of the PCB, to say the least.
The decision to replace the current cricket coach of the Pakistani cricket team by the PCE might back-fire on them with negative results and consequences because of the simple reason that Dav Whatmore stems from a different culture, different country, different heritage, different values, different history and different norms.
On top of it, giving him a two-years contract at this crucial juncture in time and history by the PCB is highly illogical, unwarranted and uncalled for. I don't know and have no idea of the kind of 'checks and balances' being incorporated in his contract with PCB but historical data as well as historical themes and patterns confirm that the new coach will not be able to complete his two years term with peace, solace and professional satisfaction. However, I wish both PCB and the new coach the best of luck in their new venture related to coaching of the Pakistani team in the days to come.