LAHORE: Former Pakistan captain Hanif Mohammad believes the team's Australian coach Dav Whatmore needs to learn Urdu if he is to succeed with the players.

Whatmore has come under fire after Pakistan suffered a 3-0 whitewash in the test series in South Africa, failing to take any of the matches into the fifth day.

“I don't want to lay entire blame on him but he needs to learn our common language Urdu if he wants to communicate properly with the players,” Hanif said.

“It is important that a coach is able to convey his sentiments, feelings, advice, commands properly to the players. They must be able to understand and feel what their coach is saying,” added the 78-year-old.

“I don't think this is happening in the team because how many of our players can communicate or speak English fluently?”

Hanif, who played 55 tests, felt a coach would never be able to convey his feelings or advice to a player through an interpreter or in a language not common to both.

“People don't realise how important a part of the coach's job is communicating properly with his players, who are then responsible for adapting and executing what they are told,” he added.

South Africa was Pakistan's second straight test series defeat since Whatmore took over as coach in March last year.

They were also beaten in Sri Lanka.