Dav Whatmore until a month ago was more interested in coaching the Indian team than any other side. Having snubbed initial overtures from the Pakistan Cricket Board in the hope that he would get the coveted coaching position with the Indian team after the World Cup, Whatmore is now keen to coach the Pakistan team.He reached Lahore on Wednesday night and praised the potential in the Pakistan players. “The Pakistani players have done well to capture top positions in the Test and one-day world rankings in recent times and they have a lot of potential about which I am very excited,” said Whatmore.Whatmore was ruled out as a candidate for the position with the Indian team earlier this month by the Indian board. The former Australian player, who coached Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, was not willing to discuss his experience with the Indian board nor any comparisons with the two other candidates for the coaching position with the Pakistan team.“I am not worried about how I am compared with the other two. I am more concerned about my relationship with the Pakistan players and board,” Whatmore said.“There is no doubt Pakistan have always been a good side and they have a lot of potential and any coach would be interested in coaching them and realizing their potential,” he said. Whatmore is the third and final coach on the PCB shortlist of Australian coaches to be interviewed for the position which was left vacant after the untimely death of Bob Woolmer during the World Cup in March.Earlier this week, board officials interviewed former Australian Test bowler Geoff Lawson and ICC high performance manager Richard Done.The PCB has already said it would consult its players before making a decision about the new coach. The PCB has come under fire for talking to Lawson, Done and Whatmore none of whom originally applied for the job which was advertised shortly after the World Cup.Although some 13 candidates sent in their resumes, the board chose to ignore them while making direct approaches to the three Aussies. Zakir Khan, the PCB Director cricket operations said the decision on a new coach would not be taken in haste. Whatmore is PCB’s top choice given his impressive coaching background.
