Dav Whatmore appointed head coach of Nepal cricket team

The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) have appointed Dav Whatmore as the head coach of the national side. Whatmore, who guided the Sri Lankan team to its 1996 World Cup triumph, will take charge from January.

Dav Whatmore’s principal task will be to help Nepal secure qualification for the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. The cricket-crazy subcontinental nation has failed to qualify for the 2021 T20 World Cup in India. Former Nepal coach Umesh Patwal stepped down in February.

The Cricket Association of Nepal has appointed following candidates for the respective roles:Head Coach👔 DAV WhatmoreGeneral Manager👔 Raunaq Bahadur Malla (@RaunaqMalla)Cricket Manager👔 Binod Das (@binodsum)Chief Financial Officer👔 Ramesh Kumar Neupane#NepalCricket pic.twitter.com/ppWDPiTHuz

— Nepal Cricket (@Nepal_Cricket) December 17, 2020

In a long, illustrious career, Dav Whatmore has coached Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Zimbabwe. He also took Kerala’s cricket to the next level by helping them secure quarter-final and semi-final berths in the Ranji Trophy for the first time in their history.

The 66-year-old has also coached the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2011 and 2012 Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons.

“Dav is extremely keen to take on this new challenge, as he strongly believes Nepal has great talent and a very bright future in international cricket,” said a press release from CAN. “Nepal is a beautiful country and Dav is looking forward to this new challenge with the young talent in Nepal.”

Dav Whatmore has made an impact on multiple national sides in the past

Born in Sri Lanka, Dav Whatmore’s family migrated to Australia when he was eight years old. An essential member of Victoria’s cricket setup in the 1970s and 80s, he went on to represent Australia in seven Tests and one ODI. His highest honour as a coach remains winning the 1996 World Cup with the Sri Lankan team.

Dav Whatmore also oversaw Bangladesh’s rise in the 2000s. He was the coach of the Bangladesh side that beat Australia at Cardiff in 2005. Under his guidance, Bangladesh also made it to the Super Eight of the 2007 World Cup, a fruitful campaign where they beat India and South Africa.