Lahore: Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore said that he favours having separate players for the three different formats of the sport.

Whatmore also said in an interview given to Geo News channel that he was ready to face challenges in the coming days as the coach of the Pakistan team.

 

Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore said that he favours having separate players for the three different formats of the sport.

Whatmore also said in an interview given to Geo News channel that he was ready to face challenges in the coming days as the coach of the Pakistan team.

Whatmore made it clear that he enjoyed the full support of the PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf and said he had taken up the job because he saw it as a big challenge and was already enjoying working in Pakistan.

“The depth of talent in Pakistan cricket is amazing. I got a chance to see the talent while witnessing the recent domestic competitions in Lahore and Rawalpindi,” he said.

The former Australian Test batsman, who joined the Pakistan team before the Asia Cup last month replacing Mohsin Khan in controversial circumstances, insisted that in order to produce quality cricketers it was necessary to tap into the immense cricket talent in Pakistan at the domestic and grassroot level.

“It will take time to make Pakistan a top cricket nation and we will also face many challenges and difficult times in future but it can be done,” he said.

Whatmore said he and fielding coach, Julian Fountain had already prepared six month, 12 month and 18 month plans for individual players to further polish their talents.

Asked about reports that he was a hard person to get alongwith and that in the past he had faced problems while working with the Sri Lankan and Bangladesh teams, Whatmore said many things written about him were not true.

“A lot of the perception of me as a person and coach is wrong,” he added.

Whatmore also insisted that he enjoyed a good relationship with the national selection committee as he believed in team work.

The Australian, who is the fourth foreign coach hired by the Pakistan board since 1999, said he had enjoyed his first experience with the team in the recent Asia Cup.

“Unfortunately we couldn’t win all our matches in the tournament but we ended up bringing back the cup home and that gave me satisfaction. The defeat to India was a setback but they played well on that day,” he said.

Pakistan Premier League: National cricketers join the bandwagon

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) received a huge breakthrough in its bid to launch the Pakistan Premier League (PPL) when various national and international cricketers showed interest in featuring in the planned event. 

The PCB, desperate to revive international cricket in Pakistan, is making huge efforts and using all its available resources to make the league a reality. The board, under chairman Zaka Ashraf, is confident that holding the tournament featuring renowned international cricketers will help a in reviving international cricket in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, according to an official close to the matter, following lukewarm response from foreign players after efforts from its officials, the PCB is now taking help from the country’s leading cricketers to use their personal relations and convince players to tour Pakistan.

“A senior member of the team is playing a vital role in this regard,” the official told The Express Tribune. “The cricketer’s representative is also in close touch with the PCB as well as foreign players on the issue. He’s already given a presentation which was impressive and is set to give an important one later this month.”

Jayasuryia, Symonds on board

The official added that the player helped get confirmation from former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya and retired Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds with both agreeing to be part of the league straight away. The name of West Indian legend Brian Lara has already been linked with PPL.

“These players have promised to feature whenever they are invited. This is just the beginning and we are expecting more confirmations. Although these cricketers have passed their prime, their participation will convince other players to come forward. The PCB will also take help from other players who feature on foreign tournaments regularly.”

Meanwhile, according to reports, four companies have shown interest in being associated with the league, a development that has encouraged the PCB. The idea was first floated by former chairman Nasim Ashraf in 2007 but, under Ijaz Butt, the plan was abandoned. However, the success of similar leagues in Bangladesh, Australia and South Africa, after the success of the IPL in India, prompted the board to re-launch its efforts

NEVER THINK ABOUT T20 AT FIRST

AZHAR GET INDIAN VISA BECAUSE HE HOLDS ENGLISH NATIONALITY

Azhar Mahmood, the former Pakistan allrounder, has been granted an Indian visa, which ESPNcricinfo understands is valid only for Chandigarh and Delhi. Mahmood will arrive on Saturday to play for Kings XI Punjab in the IPL but will be available only for the games his franchise plays in the two cities. Kings XI are scheduled to play five of their thirteen remaining games in Chandigarh, at their home ground in Mohali, and one match against Delhi Daredevils in Delhi.

Mahmood, who is now a British citizen and plays for Kent, was bought by the franchise at the auction held this February for $200,000. He was expected to be available for selection from the beginning of the IPL season, but owing to the delay in getting the visa, Mahmood missed out on Kings XI's first three matches.

Though there was no word from the franchise on whether Mahmood would join the squad in Kolkata for Sunday's match against Kolkata Knight Riders, his arrival would boost Kings XI, who suffered a setback earlier when England allrounder Stuart Broad was ruled out of the entire IPL season due to a calf strain.

Adam Gilchrist, the Kings XI captain, had announced Mahmood's imminent arrival at the media briefing in Mohali after the game against Pune Warriors India on Thursday. Mahmood, who is the only player in this IPL to have played for Pakistan, tweeted to confirm the development.

Azhar Mahmood@AzharMahmood11

Thank you all for your concern but I HAVE got the visa and in Shaa Allah be in india very soon !

13 Apr 12

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Kings XI suffered successive defeats in their first two matches, both away games. Back then Gilchrist had made public his disappointment about not having Mahmood at his disposal, saying Kings XI were missing outon a "class" player.

A consistent allrounder in Twenty20 cricket, Mahmood has been one of the top performers for Kent. He was player of the season for Kent in the County Championship last year and finished as the county's highest run-getter in the domestic T20 tournament, with 485 runs, including a century, from 15 games at a strike-rate of 143.91