By IANS
Chennai : India's loss may turn out to be Pakistan's gain when former Bangladesh cricket coach Dav Whatmore starts his stint across the border, feels former Pakistan off-spinner Iqbal Sikandar.
"Only a foreigner will be able to fight against the nepotism so deeply entrenched in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)," Sikandar said here Tuesday.
"Within the PCB, no matter who is the boss, politicians always have their say, virtually deciding who will be in the playing eleven regardless of current form. Therefore, it is imperative that we must have somebody like Whatmore who has hands-on experience in two countries of the subcontinent," Sikandar said.
Whatmore was recently appointed the Pakistan coach after being rejected by the Indian cricket board.
Sikandar, who is coaching cricketers from seven member-countries of the Asian Cricket Council at the MRF Pace Foundation here, felt that lack of communication in the Pakistan team is a huge barrier that has to be overcome by the coach's friendly intervention.
"We Pakistanis never have been good at exchanging views among ourselves both on and off the field. Thanks to Whatmore's stint in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, he would be aware of the innate problems while dealing with interfering boards, reticent players and reintroduce the winning mentality. However, the PCB will have to take a final call in the matter," Sikandar said.
Asked about the chances of Whatmore succeeding in a region where better-known coaches Greg Chappell and Bob Woolmer had failed, Sikandar said that big names did not necessarily mean success.
"Greg (Chappell) may have played more matches with a good average and Woolmer was certainly a good coach. But Whatmore moulded Sri Lanka into outright winners from minnows in world cricket.
"Further, Whatmore did wonders for the Bangladesh boys, instilling self-belief into a young side to such an extent that they have been able to beat the best team in the world on their day," Sikandar added.