KARACHI // Dav Whatmore of Australia is the leading candidate to be appointed Pakistan coach, a senior official with the Pakistan Cricket Board said yesterday.
Whatmore, who led Sri Lanka to victory at the 1996 World Cup, is currently in charge of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Twenty20 Indian Premier League.
"Whatmore is due to come to Pakistan sometime next month to discuss issues relating to our search for a head coach," Subhan Ahmad, the PCB chief operating officer, said.
"It would be premature to say we have taken a decision to appoint Whatmore as head coach but we are in the process of interviewing candidates and Whatmore is a front-runner."
Whatmore, 57, who played seven Tests for Australia, has also enjoyed a successful coaching spell with Bangladesh, leading them to their first Test victory and subsequent series win in 2005.
Whatmore came close to being appointed Pakistan coach in 2007 before the PCB selected his compatriot Geoff Lawson.
Pakistan face England in a Test and one-day series starting next month in the UAE with Mohsin Khan handling the side as interim coach and chief selector.
Mohsin was in charge for the recent Test series victories over Bangladesh and Sri Lanka after Waqar Younis resigned as head coach in September.
