Acid Test for Dav Whatmore

Premasara EPASINGHE

In a game of cricket, a coach plays an important role. Coach is a person who trains sportsmen, especially for contests. In cricket what is the role of a coach?

To assist his charges to improve their skills, enhance their personal performances.

What is his aim?

To create improvement so that batsman scores more runs; a bowler takes more wickets; a fieldsman takes more catches, saves more runs in the field and seizes number of opportunities to create run outs.

A coach must be a teacher and a guide to his ch arges. He should act like a psychologist and motivate his team. If he is a successful coach, the players should have hundred percent confidence about him. It's a two way process - The coach and players should understand each others.

Another keynote the coach should play is to teach them the value of Team work.

What is team work?

It is the ability to work together towards a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishment towards organisational objectives. It is the fuel that allows a cricket team to attain uncommon results.

The present Pakistan National Cricket coach Dav Whatmore is a cricket coach of excellence. He is one of the best cricket coaches in the Asian Region. Under his able guidance and under dynamic Arjuna Ranatunga's brilliant leadership and team work SL won the World Cup 1996. It was undoubtedly the best cricketing out fit, which created history.

After leaving Sri Lanka, Dav, coached Bangladesh and made that Team a force to be reckoned with. Now he is looking after the destinies of Pakistan cricket. He was successful in moudling the Pakistan Cricket Team to reach the summit at the Asia Cup 2012, held in Bangladesh. Pakistan defeated Bangladesh in a nail-biting finals about three months back on March in 2012.

The irony was this final was like a "Home and Home affair" as Bangladesh team was also once coached by Dav Whatmore. If you analyse, except India, he had a hand in moulding the leading cricketing nations in Asia.

Sri Lankan born, former Australian Test Cricketer Davnell F Whatmore (Tests - 7, innings -13, Runs 293, Highest score - 77, 50's - 2, catches, held 13, bowling - 5 overs 11 runs no wickets) was born in Sri Lanka on March 16, 1954. He studied at Royal College, Colombo Primary School. Later, Whatmores migrated to Australia. They settled down in Melbourne, where many Sri Lankans live.

He started playing cricket in Melbourne and through hard work, consistent form, heavy scoring, he won his Australian Baggy Green Cap. Then, he followed a number of prestigious coaching courses and ultimately became a reputed coach in Melbourne, Australia.

I came into contact with Dav, when he was in-charge of the Sri Lanka National Cricket Team in the 1990's. He is a pleasant, charming personality.

He is a man of impeccable integrity. His contribution as a coach in Sri Lanka was outstanding. It will be remembered for all time. It can be matched may be someday, but I doubt whether it could be surpassed. Dav is a simple, unassuming character. I can remember in the good old days, how two of us visited the famous the present "controversial historic Delkande Sunday Pola - Sunday Fair.

Two constant visitors, I used to meet at the Dekanda Pola those days were Lakshman Jayakody and Dav Whatmore. Sometimes the vendors were reluctant to take money from Dav. He smiles in his inimitable style in Sinhala he says, 'Ane Amme, Oya Salli ganna, Nethnam, man enne neha (Please take the money, otherwise I will not come again). I help him to translate his English into Sinhala. He was an unassuming, kind-hearted individual.

Infact, I still remember, when I was the private secretary to Minister of Education, couple of years back he come and met me to help his driver's son's school admission. On that day I introduce him to the Minister Susil Premajayanth. The news went round the Ministry that Dav Whatmore was in the Ministry premises. Many flocked to see the icon.

Cricket is a mental game. Like a psychologist he motivated his players. He is a strict disciplinarian. He believes in hard work - practice, practice practice. Also, he laid a great emphasis on Physical Fitness. Another Australian Alex Kountori was the physiotherapist. Whatmore and Kountori were a great combination.

Dav Whatmore is always a friendly "Bloke". He can be called a magnificent cricket coach of Asia.

Pakistan Team played in two Twenty20 games. They met Sri Lanka on June 7 and 9 at Pallekele in their two one day internationals. The third and the fourth ODI's will be played on 13th and 16th June at Premadasa Stadium. The fifth ODI is also played at Premadasa Stadium on Monday 18th June 2012.

The first Test - Sri Lanka-Pakistan will be played at Galle International Stadium from June 22-26, 2012.

The second Test will be played from June 30-July 4, 2012 at the SSC grounds, Colombo.

The third and the final SL-Pakistan Test will be played from July 8-12, 2012 at Pallekelle.