HARARE: Former Pakistan team coach Dav Whatmore will lead Zimbabwe at next year’s World Cup, the African country’s chairman for the sport said here on Tuesday.

“His [Whatmore’s] initial assignment is to see us through the World Cup, and thereafter we shall work out another long-term contract,” Wilson Manase told reporters. Zimbabwe will compete in pool ‘B’ of the ICC World Cup with South Africa, India, West Indies, Ireland, UAE and Pakistan, the team Whatmore led from 2012 until his contract ended this year.

Zimbabwe is one of the ICC’s Test nations.

“Our first target is to make that super 8 [quarter-finals],” Whatmore said at the press conference. “We will work really hard to try to achieve that. I am very pleased to be here.”

Whatmore has also coached Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2014