Nepal’s hunt for coach enters second phase; Pubudu, Whatmore among those shortlisted

Nepal’s hunt for the national cricket team coach entered its second phase after the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) shortlisted 25 out of 72 applicants for the post.

Nepal have been without a head coach since Umesh Patwal left the job in February this year following the country’s ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 Series campaign involving Oman and the United States of America.

Home-grown coach Jagat Tamatta looked after the team for ACC Eastern Region Twenty20 Qualifiers in March in Thailand. CAN had advertised for the vacancy and among those applying for the posts were former Nepal coach Pubudu Dassanayake and Sri Lanka’s 1994 World Cup winning coach Dave Whatmore.

CAN also received applications from Indian duo Apoorva Desai, Sulakshyan Kulkarni, former Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu along with others from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Desai and Kulkarni had already worked for Nepal at different positions.

While Nepali cricket scaled newer heights under Pubudu Dassanayake, playing the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 and played List A matches under the ICC World Cricket League Championship, Whatmore is also not a new name for the country.

He had already mentored Nepali cricketers after he was brought by Bat and Ball Foundation for an 11-day High Performance Camp in 2017. CAN on Saturday said it has already interviewed 12 applicants for the post of the coach.

The Association, in coordination with the International Cricket Council (ICC), will announce the final name of the Head Coach in the second week of Mangshir (first week of December), CAN said in a press release.

CAN also said that it has already completed the interview of cricket manager on Friday. The entire process is carried out by Head Coach Selection Committee of the cricket governing body.