Whatmore - Out, but not down

[King]

Considering the strange turnaround of events, Dav Whatmore has taken the entire episode of losing out on the India job in his stride. More... Whatmore - Out, but not down TIMES NEWS NETWORK / Chandresh Narayanan MUMBAI, June 5: Considering the strange turnaround of events, many could have been forgiven if they thought that the man was still in a state of shock. But Dav Whatmore has taken the entire episode of losing out on the India job in his stride. "I am glad to be home and to be with my family," the Aussie told TOI from his Melbourne residence. Even as he maintained that "it was BCCI’s decision" and he has nothing much to add, the former Australian batsman gave it away when pressed on what could have gone wrong. "Some day the politics of it all will come out I guess," revealed Whatmore as he sought to step aside from the line of fire. It is learnt that Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri, two of the three Indian captains on the panel with the other being S Venkatraghavan, opposed Whatmore's appointment. The Aussie just laughed it off. "Good luck to whoever is appointed," he said. Whatmore informed that he was "fast asleep" when he received a text message from an Indian journalist when the decision was made public by the BCCI. One of the prime reasons why Whatmore fell from favour is because the senior Indian players felt he knew the Asian system a little too much. This prompted a change of heart among the senior players, who had initially backed him, and also Shastri, who was the person to introduce Whatmore to the board officials. "Knowing the system can be a disadvantage at times because you will know how to work around it," revealed a senior Indian player. But Whatmore did not want to react on this issue. The former Bangladesh and Sri Lanka coach came into focus during the 2007 World Cup when he 'showed interest' in the Indian job. Even during Whatmore's last series in-charge against India, he met board officials which further raised hopes about his appointment. There was all-round speculation that his appointment was a 'mere formality', but the man himself kept maintaining that he was taking nothing for granted. "I kept telling the media not to refer me as the next India coach. It wasn't them but the BCCI who was going to make the decision," opined Whatmore. With the Indian job slipping out of his hands, there is interest surrounding what would be Whatmore's next destination. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been keen on hiring Whatmore despite recent reports that he may not be their top choice. There were also rumours that Whatmore has rejected PCB's offer. "This is all speculation, I have never said yes or no to the Pakistan job," said Whatmore. But has he decided on the next job? "I am in no hurry to decide that. I am am meeting my family after five months. I will take my time," signed off Whatmore.