LAHORE: Regarding the job of coaching Pakistan team a challenge, Dav Whatmore, the front-runner for the said position, on Monday said the final decision by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over his appointment was likely to come within a month.
'I have held good meetings with PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf, selectors besides other Board officials. Though I hope to get the [Pakistan team's coaching] assignment, it is up to the PCB to take the final decision. Though there is no final decision [on appointment] yet, and I think, it may come within the next one month,' Whatmore, who is on a visit to Pakistan for interview with the PCB, said after holding negotiations with the high-ups.
He is scheduled to leave the country on Tuesday.
Whatmore, who was also a candidate for the post of Pakistan coach in 2007, said currently Pakistan were a highly talented team, adding the opportunity to coach this side would be a challenge for him.
When asked if he could make Pakistan cricketing world's top team the criteria set by the PCB chief for the next coach, Whatmore said he would try his level best to turn Pakistan into world champions besides making them capable to beat the bestin cricket.
'I will introduce a plan which will lead Pakistan to world number one position; and also to beat the world's toughest sides,' he remarked.
Whatmore, the former Australian Test cricketer who also coached Sri Lanka and Bangladesh previously, parried a question about the return of international cricket to Pakistan,saying it was not his domain to comment on that subject.
To a query regarding the Pakistan-England Test series starting in Dubai on Tuesday, Whatmore while terming the competition as very interesting said Pakistan would face demanding contest from top-ranked England.
Meanwhile, Intikhab Alam, head of the three-member committee searching coaches for Pakistan, also said no final decision had been taken to appoint Whatmore as national coach.
The former Test player asserted that every point of the proposed contract was discussed with Whatmore in detail but added that the final decision had been kept pending.
Though both the PCB and Whatmore are not willing to acknowledge that an agreement over the coaching job has been reached, sources said everything had been finalised between the parties.
However, the sources added, the deal has been kept pending in view of the series starting between England and Pakistan, currently coached by Mohsin Khan, as the declaration would not have left a good impact on the said series.
Interestingly, the one-month time will also be completed when the two teams clash in the third and last Twenty20 match of the UAE series on Feb 27 in Abu Dhabi.
Sources said PCB's noteworthy success is to convince Whatmore to stay in Pakistan in national team's off period so that he could work on players and coaches in these times. It is noticeable that in the past, neither late Bob Woolmer nor Richard Pybus, both former Pakistan coaches, were contractbound to this condition.
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