The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced today that Dav Whatmore will help Afghanistan, Ireland, Scotland and UAE prepare for cricket’s marquee 50-over event, the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 (CWC), as part of the ICC High Performance Programme (HPP).
Whatmore, who has previously coached Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, will work closely with the ICC High Performance manager and each of the four teams in an advisory and support role as they prepare for the ICC CWC 2015 in Australia and New Zealand.
Whatmore will begin his new role during the ICC HPP support staff forum, which opens on 14 May in Scotland, where he will meet each of the teams’ coaches and start to provide tailored assistance.
Reacting to his appointment, Whatmore said: “I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to work with the leading Associate and Affiliate teams during such a memorable period in world cricket.
"We have seen some amazing performances recently from these teams, and, over the next 10 months, I look forward to being able to assist in honing their performances even further.”
Having coached Sri Lanka to ICC CWC glory in 1996, Whatmore has first-hand knowledge of the preparations needed to succeed on the global stage.
“It takes hard work, dedication and motivation to succeed at such a huge global event, as well as unflinching confidence. I hope to be able to assist on all of these fronts to ensure that Afghanistan, Ireland, Scotland and the UAE fire on all cylinders from the moment they arrive in Australia and New Zealand next year,” he added.
ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said: “We welcome Dav Whatmore to this important advisory role. Dav’s extensive coaching experience, including leading Sri Lanka to its unforgettable ICC Cricket World Cup victory in 1996, will provide excellent support and expertise to the four qualifying teams as they put the finishing touches on their preparations for cricket’s premier one-day tournament.”
UAE coach Aqib Javed, a member of the Pakistan side that won the ICC Cricket World Cup 1992 and also played in the 1996 tournament, said: “We are very focused on our one-day preparations over the next 10 months, and the opportunity to work alongside Dav Whatmore as we fine-tune our programmes and training is very exciting for us.”
Javed led the UAE to the final qualification spot with a second-place finish at the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier New Zealand 2014 and next year's event will be the country's second 50-over World Cup having previously qualified for the 1996 tournament.
It has been a remarkable year for the UAE, having also played in their first World T20 tournament earlier this year.
