Waqar backs Whatmore's appointment as Pak cricket coach

Karachi, Mar 8(ANI): Former Pakistan coach Waqar Younis has backed Dav Whatmore's appointment as the head coach of Pakistan's cricket team.

"I think the appointment of Whatmore is a good decision by the Pakistan Cricket Board. Dav has done wonders previously and did really well in Sri Lanka in 1996 and then he worked with Bangladesh and led them to their first Test victory. Whatmore understands the culture too, he has a Sri Lankan background of course, yes I think he's a good appointment and I hope he will do really well," PakPassion.net quoted Younis, as saying.

He said that the current group of Pakistani cricketers will be looking forward to working with Whatmore and are very willing to put in the required hard work.

"Whatmore's a strict guy, he's a tough man. He likes to work really hard and as I said earlier he has done well with other Asian countries. It won't be an easy ride for the players with Whatmore in charge, but the boys in the squad at the moment are willing to learn and put in the hard work. The players have done well over the past year and a half and worked very hard with me when I was the coach. I'm pretty sure the players will be up for it and looking forward to having the opportunity to work with Whatmore," he added.

Whatmore's appointment comes after Waqar resigned from the post on personal grounds in August 2011and was subsequently replaced on an interim basis by former Pakistan batsman Mohsin Khan.

He was recommended to Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Zaka Ashraf by a committee comprising Intikhab Alam, Zaheer Abbas, Rameez Raja and Naushad Ali and was subsequently hired on a two- year contract.

Waqar confirmed that he is not interested in applying for the job.

"I left the role of head coach at the PCB due to personal reasons and I don't see myself working as the bowling coach at this moment in time. No, I'm not really interested in the role at the moment," he added.

He said that the decision regarding the role of the bowling coach should be left to Whatmore.

"The PCB have got 2 guys in from overseas and I think it's important that the Board should ask Dav Whatmore who he thinks should be appointed. At the end of the day, Whatmore has to work with the bowling coach and he is running the show, so it's extremely important that Dav's input is taken into account by the PCB. Whoever is brought in as the bowling coach should be on Dav Whatmore's recommendation," he added. (ANI)