'Sword hanging' over Whatmore, Pak players over flop CT performance

The Pakistan cricket team and their coach Dav Whatmore have reportedly come under the scanner, with Whatmore in danger of losing his contract, following the team's devastating show in the ICC Champions Trophy.

Even as the team prepares for the upcoming tour of the West Indies, the proverbial sword hangs over the players and Whatmore, who was, however allowed to serve his two-year term with backing from the now suspended chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohammad Zaka Ashraf, the Express Tribune reports.

However, a source close to the PCB said that the officials, who previously backed Whatmore, do not have much evidence now to defend him as there has been no significant improvement even after over a year under Whatmore, who was hired because of his high-profile reputation.

According to the source, the sacking of former Australian coach Mickey Arthur after the team's Champions Trophy failure before the Ashes, have also contributed to the authorities' thinking, adding that the PCB has the right to remove coaches on the basis of performance.

The source further said that interim PCB chairman Najam Sethi is also not too happy with the performance of the coach as he took over at the time when Pakistan flopped badly in the Champions Trophy, adding that Sethi was assessing everything himself in order to prepare a report.

The source also said that the upcoming West Indies series is important for the team management to consider the future of the players and the coach, adding that the one-day international careers of senior players like Shahid Afridi are also at stake in this tour.

The source also said that there is a possibility that former coach Mohsin Khan might be offered a key role excluding the vacant chief selector post as he is more interested in field work.

However, under Whatmore, who is reportedly drawing two million rupees monthly from his contract, Pakistan won the Asia Cup in March 2012 and then beat India in a bilateral ODI series, besides winning the Twenty20 series against Australia and South Africa.

Although Pakistan have not won a single Test under Whatmore as they lost their series against Sri Lanka and suffered a 3-0 whitewash at the hands of South Africa, the report added.