JOHANNESBURG, March 20: Coach Dav Whatmore is set to discuss his future with the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) after his side’s exit from the World Cup this week.

Whatmore, who helped guide Sri Lanka to the 1996 trophy and to the semifinals this time before losing to Australia, is in his second spell in the role but his contract runs out in two months.

“I am contracted until the end of May and any decision regarding my personal future will be made with the cricket board after the tournament,” he told reporters.

“There are still some challenges there but it is a case of communications and dialogue after this tournament.”

Captain Sanath Jayasuriya was happy to reflect on everything the side has accomplished under Whatmore when he spoke after Tuesday’s 48-run loss to Australia in Port Elizabeth.

“Dav has been doing a good job and he has been very good for the boys,” he said.

“He has been there for a long time and when he has been there we have achieved a lot of things.”

Both Whatmore and Jayasuriya were clear where Sri Lanka had gone wrong as the side finished with three defeats in four matches.

“We had some good positives over the last 10 games but if there was one area we could have done better it was our batting in the middle,” the coach said.

“They just didn’t give us enough runs from time to time and that was the case again against Australia.

“It was a little bit naughty they just didn’t give us consistent assistance when we needed it.”

Middle-order batsmen Russel Arnold, Hashan Tillekeratne, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene scored one fifty between them in 28 innings. Jayawardene managed only 19 runs in seven innings.

Jayasuriya added: “Unfortunately some of the players have not performed well.”

The captain and coach could at least console themselves with the performances of their two leading bowlers, left-arm seam and swing specialist Chaminda Vaas and off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.

Vaas claimed 23 wickets, a new World Cup record, and also took a hat trick against Bangladesh while Muralitharan, although wicketless in the semifinal, claimed 17 victims.

“I thought our bowlers did well throughout the tournament and I was pleased with that,” said Whatmore.

Sri Lanka play in a triangular tournament against South Africa and Pakistan in Sharjah early next month.—Reuters