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| Dav Whatmore | |
|---|---|
| Name | Dav Whatmore |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Fullname | David Joseph Whatmore |
| Birth date | 13 May 1954 |
| Birth place | Colombo, Ceylon |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Role | Batsman, Coach |
Dav Whatmore
David Joseph Whatmore (born 13 May 1954) is a former first-class cricketer and international coach noted for leading underdog teams to major tournament success. He captained and coached across multiple Test cricket and One Day International contexts, working with national sides including Australia national cricket team, Sri Lanka national cricket team, Pakistan national cricket team, Bangladesh national cricket team, Zimbabwe national cricket team, and New Zealand national cricket team personnel at various times. Whatmore's career spans playing, coaching, and administration in cities such as Colombo, Perth, and Melbourne and tournaments including the Cricket World Cup and ICC Champions Trophy.
Whatmore was born in Colombo in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), and emigrated to Australia where he played domestic cricket for Western Australia and the Tasmania cricket team. As a right-handed batsman he featured in Sheffield Shield fixtures alongside players from Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and contemporaries who represented Australia national cricket team in the 1970s and 1980s. He appeared in first-class matches against touring sides from England cricket team, India national cricket team, and Pakistan national cricket team, sharing dressing rooms or opponents such as Allan Border, Dennis Lillee, Graham Gooch, and Sunil Gavaskar. His transition from player to coach followed stints in grade cricket in Perth and coaching appointments at state level.
As a first-class cricketer Whatmore compiled records in competitions like the Sheffield Shield and limited-overs tournaments featuring franchises from Queensland, Tasmania, and Western Australia. His statistical footprint includes batting aggregates, averages, and appearances recorded alongside teammates who progressed to Ashes series selection or represented Victoria cricket team and South Australia cricket team. While not attaining extensive Test caps, his playing statistics are documented alongside matches versus touring teams from West Indies cricket team and fixtures in Australian domestic seasons that shaped selections for the Australian cricket team and selectors from Cricket Australia.
Whatmore's coaching résumé includes leading the Sri Lanka national cricket team to victory in the 1996 Cricket World Cup as head coach, a triumph over teams such as the Australia national cricket team, India national cricket team, and New Zealand national cricket team during the tournament. He later took charge of the Bangladesh national cricket team, overseeing development programs that elevated Bangladesh in Asia Cup and ICC Trophy pathways, and coached the Pakistan national cricket team and Zimbabwe national cricket team in different stints. Other roles include director or consultant appointments with Cricket Australia affiliates, domestic franchises in Indian Premier League-related circuits, and advisory positions connected to International Cricket Council initiatives. He worked with prominent players including Aravinda de Silva, Sanath Jayasuriya, Chaminda Vaas, Shakib Al Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza, Shahid Afridi, and Brendan Taylor.
Whatmore's approach combined tactical planning for One Day International and Test cricket formats, player development models used by organizations such as Cricket Australia and the Marylebone Cricket Club. He emphasized match simulation practices drawn from fixtures like the County Championship and training regimes influenced by coaching contemporaries from England cricket team and New Zealand cricket team systems. His methods incorporated talent identification similar to programs run by Sri Lanka Cricket and Bangladesh Cricket Board, psychological preparation reminiscent of protocols used by Australian Institute of Sport alumni, and workload management consistent with directives from the International Cricket Council on player welfare. He adapted strategies against bowling attacks featuring bowlers from India national cricket team and West Indies cricket team lineups, and batting units modeled on pioneers like Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara.
Whatmore is best known for coaching Sri Lanka national cricket team to the 1996 Cricket World Cup title, an upset that reshaped expectations for Associate nations and full members in global tournaments. He received recognition from national boards including Sri Lanka Cricket and later earned appointments from boards such as the Bangladesh Cricket Board and Zimbabwe Cricket. His protégés achieved milestones in events like the Asia Cup, ICC Champions Trophy, and Under-19 Cricket World Cup pathways. Individual acknowledgements came in the form of high-profile coaching contracts and citations by cricketing media outlets covering entities like ESPNcricinfo and Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.
Whatmore's personal life bridges cultures between Sri Lanka and Australia; he settled in Perth and engaged with community cricket programs, mentoring coaches associated with institutions such as the Australian Cricket Coaches Association and the Pakistan Cricket Board at times. His legacy persists in coaching trees that include assistants and head coaches who later led sides in tournaments like the ICC World Twenty20 and domestic competitions including the Big Bash League. He is cited in analyses of coaching impact alongside figures such as John Buchanan, Trevor Bayliss, and Ray Jennings, and remains a figure referenced in histories of the 1996 Cricket World Cup and modern coaching practice.
Category:Australian cricket coaches Category:Sri Lankan cricketers