PCB doesn’t intend to retain Whatmore beyond next year

Pakistan will have a new head coach for the Asia Cup and the ICC World Twenty20 Championships in Bangladesh next year as the PCB has no intentions of renewing Australian Dav Whatmore’s two-year contract when it expires in March 2014.

“At the moment the present PCB management has decided to stay with Whatmore and allow him to complete his two-year contract, ” a source in the board told PTI.

But he confirmed that the Board was far from happy with the results produced so far by Whatmore since he took over in March 2012 and also over a number of other issues.

“Basically, the PCB does not want to pay any extra compensation to Whatmore which it will have to do if it terminates his contract before March 2014, ” the source said.

“With two back to back series against South Africa and Sri Lanka coming up in the UAE the PCB also does not feel it is the right time to make changes in the team’s coaching staff, ” the source said.

But he confirmed that the board was not happy with Whatmore and had brought in a former Test captain Moin Khan as manager for the Zimbabwe tour to balance things in the team management.

Interestingly, Whatmore recently preferred to move out of the National Cricket Academy living area to a new residence in Gulberg in Lahore for the rent which is being paid by the PCB.

“Although Whatmore as per his contract was entitled to have an independent bungalow, there was a feeling in the board that for security reasons he would have been better off staying in the NCA but he insisted on shifting residence, ” the source said.

Previously both the former foreign coaches of the Pakistan team, Bob Woolmer and Geoff Lawson preferred to stay at the NCA instead of independent residences.