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Whatmore to be KKR coach

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Kolkata Knight Riders have lined up Dav Whatmore as coach, putting an end to months of speculation and uncertainty after the exit of John Buchanan. Whatmore, who guided Sri Lanka to the 1996 World Cup title, has been given the job more than three months after the team sacked Buchanan following two disastrous IPL seasons in which they finished sixth and eighth. Whatmore is head of the BCCI's National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, but KKR sources told Cricinfo that the Indian board, which also runs the hugely successful Twenty20 league, has cleared the coach to take up the new assignment. Whatmore was not available for a reaction - he is away in Australia on vacation -- and Joy Bhattacharya, the Kolkata team's director, declined to comment. Kolkata zeroed in on Whatmore after meeting a number of candidates, including John Wright, Richard Pybus, Dermot Reeve, Duncan Fletcher, Lalchand Rajput, WV Raman and Ashok Malhotra. The Knight Riders have also lined up Wasim Akram as a consultant to guide their bowling attack and are expected to recall Sourav Ganguly as captain though a formal declaration can be expected only after they officially announce the coach's appointment. The Kolkata management had informally sounded out Whatmore in June and followed it up with an interview in August at the Mumbai residence of Shah Rukh Khan, the Bollywood star, who co-owns the Kolkata franchise along with Jay Mehta, a businessman. Whatmore, 55, played seven Tests for Australia and brings to the IPL an impressive record. Apart from the 1996 World Cup title, he guided Bangladesh to two historic wins in the 2007 World Cup against India and South Africa, and also coached Lancashire to title wins in the NatWest and Sunday League in 1998. Last year, he was coach of the India under-19 team that won the junior World Cup in Malaysia. In fact, Whatmore has been coach of an international team in 321 matches (Tests and ODIs) so far, which is a world record in itself. In 2007, he was on the verge of being appointed India coach before the BCCI think tank changed its mind at the last minute and opted for Gary Kirsten; the Indian board subsequently got Whatmore on board as director of cricket at the NCA. But more than the records, what might work for Whatmore in Kolkata is his low-profile, hands-on approach and man-management skills, especially the ability to motivate players from the subcontinent and help them raise their performance, as his record with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh showed. His experience with the Indian board's academy may also come in handy as Kolkata have long-term plans of starting a full-fledged facility of their own. Buchanan's tenure with Kolkata was marred by controversy after the former Australian coach unveiled his multi-captaincy theory that generated a lot of debate worldwide and then replaced Ganguly, the local icon, as captain with Brendon McCullum. McCullum will not be available for most of the next IPL - from March 12 to April 25 - and will play instead for New Zealand against Australia in the home series in March. ========================================================== http://www.cricinfo.com/ipl2010/content/current/story/429319.html

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Whatmore to be Kolkata coach Kolkata Knight Riders have lined up Dav Whatmore as coach, putting an end to months of speculation and uncertainty after the exit of John Buchanan. Whatmore, who guided Sri Lanka to the 1996 World Cup title, has been given the job more than three months after the team sacked Buchanan following two disastrous IPL seasons in which they finished sixth and eighth. Whatmore is head of the BCCI's National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, but KKR sources told Cricinfo that the Indian board, which also runs the hugely successful Twenty20 league, has allowed him an early release to take up the new assignment as soon as possible. Whatmore was not available for a reaction - he is away in Australia on vacation -- and Joy Bhattacharya, the Kolkata team's director, declined to comment. Kolkata zeroed in on Whatmore after meeting a number of candidates, including John Wright, Richard Pybus, Dermot Reeve, Duncan Fletcher, Lalchand Rajput, WV Raman and Ashok Malhotra. The Knight Riders have also lined up Wasim Akram as a consultant to guide their bowling attack, Vijay Dahiya as assistant coach, and are expected to recall Sourav Ganguly as captain though a formal declaration can be expected only after they officially announce the coach's appointment. The Kolkata management had informally sounded out Whatmore in June and followed it up with an interview in August at the Mumbai residence of Shah Rukh Khan, the Bollywood star, who co-owns the Kolkata franchise along with Jay Mehta, a businessman. Whatmore, 55, played seven Tests for Australia and brings to the IPL an impressive record. Apart from the 1996 World Cup title, he guided Bangladesh to two historic wins in the 2007 World Cup against India and South Africa, and also coached Lancashire to title wins in the NatWest and Sunday League in 1998. Last year, he was coach of the India under-19 team that won the junior World Cup in Malaysia. In 2007, he was on the verge of being appointed India coach before the BCCI think tank changed its mind at the last minute and opted for Gary Kirsten; the Indian board subsequently got Whatmore on board as director of cricket at the NCA. But more than the records, what might work for Whatmore in Kolkata is his low-profile, hands-on approach and man-management skills, especially the ability to motivate players from the subcontinent and help them raise their performance, as his record with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh showed. His experience with the Indian board's academy may also come in handy as Kolkata have long-term plans of starting a full-fledged facility of their own. Buchanan's tenure with Kolkata was marred by controversy after the former Australian coach unveiled his multi-captaincy theory that generated a lot of debate worldwide and then replaced Ganguly, the local icon, as captain with Brendon McCullum. McCullum will not be available for most of the next IPL - from March 12 to April 25 - and will play instead for New Zealand against Australia in the home series in March.

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Roebuck calls KKR as Kolkata clowns (whatever) Chris Gayle's nomination as West Indies captain for the coming tour Down Under is beyond comprehension. Far from standing firm, the West Indies Cricket Board has capitulated in the most craven manner. Never mind that their captain and senior players have let them down badly and repeatedly. Never mind that many have been inactive, almost inert. Never mind that Gayle's team was mauled in England or that a shadow side had unavoidably been sent to the Champions Trophy. Never mind that Gayle himself has seemed bent on destruction. Still the board accommodated the ringleader of the rebellion. Gayle is a busted flush. Sympathisers say he cares about West Indian cricket. If so, he has a curious way of showing it. Appointed on a wing and a prayer by authorities desperate to stop the inexorable slide in West Indian cricket, the languid Jamaican has been a profound disappointment. If nothing else, his abject performance during last winter's Test series in England ought to have cost him his job. Given the honour of captaining the party and therefore following in the footsteps of Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Garfield Sobers and Clive Lloyd, the sunglassed opener promptly signed to play for the Kolkata Klowns(or whatever) in the IPL and arranged to join the team a week before the first Test. Eager to put even more plunder in his pocket, he lingered longer, played an extra match and arrived a couple of days before the series began. So much for leadership. So much for the tradition of West Indian cricket. So much for Test cricket. Inevitably, West Indies were routed. By all accounts they barely put up a fight. Admittedly, it was cold in Durham but that hardly explains, let alone excuses, an abject display. If it was not the lowest point in Caribbean cricket, then it was mighty close. And Gayle was the leader. Mostly he stood at slip, smothered in sweaters, watching as his team was torn apart. West Indies were present in body but not mind let alone spirit. Nor is that all. Next, Gayle and chums refused to represent the region in an international tournament in South Africa, thereby letting down hosts, opponents and supporters. Talks between their association and the WICB had broken down. By all mature accounts, the demands of the players were unreasonable. They demanded the overwhelming bulk of cricket revenue to be split between them. Floyd Reifer was put in charge of a shadow team. His players did their best but lacked depth. Rejection has been their reward. Now Gayle has been recalled and reappointed. He did not even succeed in the IPL. Apparently he was hard to handle, refusing to take part in team activities, hardly scoring a run or taking a wicket, contributing little on and off the field. No wonder NSW spurned him this summer. Gayle has become a mercenary. It does not seem much of a way to lead a team let alone a proud cricketing collection. Meanwhile, West Indian cricket's truest leader, Daren Ganga, a tactician with a proven record and an ability to unite his players, has not made the touring party. Trinidad and Tobago's performance in India reminded all and sundry about the glories of Caribbean cricket and made its collapse all the more painful. Now Gayle and company are heading for Australia. Locals are supposed to welcome a team whose past two outings have been an embarrassment and a no-show. It's not going to be easy. Nothing was more certain than that the top players would make themselves available for this tour. In their eyes, it's the best trip in the books. Sunshine, beaches, dry tracks, boisterous crowds, challenging cricket, social life and rewards await. Pressure was put on their representatives to reach a compromise. Never mind that issues remained unresolved. Not that a lacklustre board has much to commend it. Seldom has it been harder to take sides. It was a battle between the intransigent and the inefficient. Perhaps Gayle will set the series ablaze with brilliant batting. He has the capacity. Perhaps his players will rally to the cause, whatever that may be. For now, it's hard to avoid thinking that an opportunity has been missed. Ganga has a modest record in Test cricket but he does turn up and he does create a strong team culture of the sort West Indian cricket has been missing for decades. West Indies have a powerful batting order and some handy pacemen but it will count for nought unless the captain pulls his weight and then some. Australia cannot be beaten by the half-baked. ========================================================== http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/cricket/mercenary-gayle-is-an-unworthy-leader/2009/11/03/1257010201035.html

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