Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore said Monday nothing would please him more than to end his two-year stint with a win over Sri Lanka, a team he groomed to World Cup glory in 1996.
|Last Updated: Jan 06, 2014, 09:43 PM IST|Source: AFP
Abu Dhabi: Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore said Monday nothing would please him more than to end his two-year stint with a win over Sri Lanka, a team he groomed to World Cup glory in 1996.
"To win, particularly against Sri Lanka," said Whatmore when asked how he would like to end his two-year reign after the ongoing three Tests against Sri Lanka.
Under Whatmore, who took over in March 2012, Pakistan have not won a Test series but attained heights by beating India in India and South Africa in South Africa -- both in one-day series.
Whatmore`s highest point as coach was winning the World Cup with Sri Lanka 18 years ago -- a team he said he respected a lot.
"To win against Sri Lanka, the team I coached for six years, my country of birth would be great and I am keen on doing well against them, some of them (players) are very good friends but when I enter the field we are enemies, so I am keen to finish the stint with a win," said Whatmore, born in Sri Lanka but who played seven Tests and one one-day for Australia.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka drew the first Test in Abu Dhabi last week. The second Test starts in Dubai from Wednesday while the third will be played in Sharjah from January 16.
Whatmore believes his team can force a win if they get 20 wickets.
"You must get 20 wickets, bat well to win a Test. We couldn`t get the advantage of the two hundreds that Misbah-ul Haq and Younis Khan scored and did not have a big lead," said Whatmore of Pakistan`s 179-run lead.
Led by a career best 157 not out by skipper Angelo Mathews, Sri Lanka batted well to save the Test on the fourth and fifth day.
Whatmore said off-spinner Saeed Ajmal not getting a wicket in 49 overs in Sri Lanka`s second innings wasn`t a worry.
"I don`t think it was a worry, it was a combination of the difficulties he faced extracting something out of the wicket as well as opposition playing very well," said Whatmore.
Pakistan will hope the Dubai stadium pitch will help their spinners, and are likely to add left-arm slow bowler Abdul Rehman to supplement Ajmal.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.