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Officially Whatmore

SPORTS REPORTER
As expected, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) yesterday officially announced that Sri Lanka born Australian Dav Whatmore would become the new coach of the national cricket team.
BCB boss Ali Asghar read out the name of 49-year old former Sri Lanka and Lancashire coach at a crowded press briefing at a city hotel in the morning.
Whatmore, one of the top-rated coaches in world cricket, guided Sri Lanka to their maiden World Cup triumph in 1996 and also helped the Islanders to make it to the 2003 World Cup semifinals. He is scheduled to take over the Tigers from the first week of June.
"We have selected Whatmore with the hope that with his never-say-die attitude and attacking approach would
be injected in our national team which has been performing below par in the international arena," said Asghar.
"We were looking for a high profile coach and had contacted the relevant authorities in the ICC, Australia, West Indies, South Africa and England for
their help," said the BCB boss adding that the Board received positive responses from everywhere but in the end opted for Whatmore because of his proven ability to inspire players.
"We got many names for the job but we were actually searching for someone with the ability to lift a team. We felt that there was no one better than Whatmore," Asghar said.
Mahbubul Anam, the chairman of BCB's cricket committee revealed that Whatmore was coming on a two-year contract. If there is a definite improvement in the team's performance during that period, his tenure might be extended up to the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.
"We have already reached an agreement through fax. Whatmore is expected to arrive in Bangladesh next month to sign the papers," said Anam.
He added that Sarwar Imran, who is performing the role of an interim coach of the national squad, would become Whatmore's assistant and also look after the bowling department of the team.
Anam also informed that the ICC Development Manager would visit Bangladesh in June 2003 to discuss with the board officials on how the governing body of cricket can play a role in developing the game in Bangladesh.
"The ICC is going to provide us with a foreign coach for our development squad soon," Anam said.
He also said that three divisional stadiums in Chittagong, Rajshahi and Khulna would be turned into permanent cricket venues within a year and five indoor facilities for cricket would be built in the country in the next six months.