Dhaka, Apr 20: After guiding Sri Lanka to unprecedented heights, Australian Dav Whatmore who has been appointed as the new Bangladesh team coach, will try his hands at resurrecting the sagging fortunes of the country. The Sri Lanka-born Australian replaces Pakistani Mohsin Kamal whose contract was expectedly not renewed after the team's disastrous World Cup campaign. Whatmore, a former Australian Test cricketer, will be offered a two-year-contract by Bangladesh cricket board beginning on May 1. Whatmore was discarded by Sri Lanka after the team's indifferent show in the World Cup. Sri Lanka, who were guided to their only World Cup triumph in 1996 under Whatmore, managed to reach the semi-final of the recent World Cup in South Africa but failed to impress. Mass circulated vernacular newspaper 'The Daily Jugantor' said in a report today the senior executives of the Bangladesh cricket board finalised Whatmore's selection at a meeting held here yesterday. The board will formally announce the name of the new coach at a press conference scheduled to be held tomorrow, the report said. Whatmore will be the fourth coach of the team since the country attained Test status in 1997. Bangladesh, who have fared poorly in international arena with defeats being their order of the day, have yet to win a match since gaining test status. They also lost all their matches, except one which was rained off, in the recent World Cup.

Bureau Report