Live Chat with Dav Whatmore
Dav Whatmore, the National Coach of the Sri Lankan team, was interviewed on IRC chat at CriInfo office in Colombo on 27 November 2000
CricInfo
01-Dec-2000
Dav Whatmore, the National Coach of the Sri Lankan team, was interviewed on IRC chat at CriInfo office in Colombo on 27 November 2000. Charlie Austin interviewed Dav with the assistance of Manjeeva Silva. Jeff Green (Jeff_Green on #cricket) moderated the interview.
Charlie Dav Whatmore has had a long association with Sri Lankan cricket. He was coach when they won the 1996 world cup and returned last year after a spell with Lancashire. Since his return we have seen an upturn in the performances of the Sri Lankan team. So what is the secret behind his success and can Sri Lanka become the best test nation in the world? Dav, thank-you for sparing your precious time to come to the CricInfo office for this live chat.
Dav No problem Charlie, thank-you for asking me
Charlie The first question is from Mr Nalin from Japan: I felt little hurt over the selection policies for the South African tour. I can't understand why a player like Aravinda is removed from the national side. He is a great batsman, even if he is bit old now. Think about Steve and Mark Waugh: they are a bit old too, but they still play well. I think the selection committee is very unfair to him. Do you have any comment on this?
Dav I am not a selector but it appears as though the squad selected is keeping in line with the youth policy. It's a great opportunity to gauge the conditions for the 2003 world cup and will also provide a greater idea of the formula required to be successful in that tournament.
Charlie Mr Rasitha: I want to know what happened to the promising wicket keeper batsmen Prassana Jayawardena. He was selected for one test match this year, didn't even get on the playing field and yet has not been given a chance since. Kumar Sangakkara was quite poor behind the stumps yet the selectors have picked him as the reserve wicket keeper.
Dav Prassana has been unlucky in that his first test was badly affected by weather. Additionally, further bad luck came his way when Sri Lanka were faced with stiff opposition in a one-day triangular tournament. In that series, Kumar Sangakkara was given an opportunity with the gloves and did a good job. He also batted extremely well, winning one man of match award and was considered unlucky to have not been judged man of the series by many commentators. As a consequence of Kumar soaring confidence he was given the gloves to continue in the first test match, which SL won by an innings. Prassana is an excellent keeper and still has a chance in the future.
Dav To answer the question quite simply: yes. Murali is probably the best in the world but we are always looking for a partner for him. Upul Chandana, Dinuka Hettiarachchi and Rangana Herath are bowling well and there are some other young players who a impressing in the domestic competition. I suspect that they will get a chance in the next year or so.
Charlie Sisira Jayamaha from Netherlands: Dear Mr Whatmore, I am extremely happy about your return and the incredible improvement of SL cricket after that. However, I believe that without a player like Asanka Gurasinghe we will never win the world cup. Who do you think can replace him?
Dav Sisira you are a good judge. Gurasinghe was a quality player for Sri Lanka. However, cricketers cannot go on forever. I respect Gurasingha's decision to retire and look forward to working with other younger players in order to find a suitable replacement. So far the young group of batsmen have performed admirably and I am really excited about the future.
Charlie Mr Impett from Wattala: Our bowling is okay and our batting is now going well. How confident are you of beating SA on there own soil for the first time?
Dav Going there after a triumphant Sharjah will give the squad a head start. Whilst all of our players have the talent, our priority will be to adjust to the conditions as quickly as possible. If we are able to do this then the home side is in for one hell of a fight.
Charlie Manoj from Dehiwela: The South Africans have a terrific record at home, how are we going to beat them. What is the game plan?
Dav Play better than them is the simple answer!!! (Big grin) The squad will depart Sri Lanka with their eyes wide open, knowing full well the toughness of the task that lies ahead. We experienced this a few months back and can expect more on their home turf. However, they are not unbeatable and if adjustments to pace and bounce can be made early on, then Sri Lanka will be in a good position to put pressure on the home team.
Charlie Mr Farhan from Pakistan: Do you think that it is true to say that Sri Lanka is currently winning because of Murali. Can they perform well without him in the team?
Dav I can understand people thinking that without Murali there is no bowling attack but there is more to it than that. We go out there with a plan for each bowler and our success is dependent upon the bowlers performing as a unit. Murali bowls long spells, partly because he is a spinner and partly because he is very good! However, the ability to bowl out a side does not just rest with one player and the others have played an important role in supporting him.
Charlie But are you not worried about what happens when Murali retires?
Dav Anybody would be concerned when a bowler of his class retires. However, we cannot dwell on that and we will be looking to support the spinner who replaces him. He will form one part of the unit and they will have to perform as a group if we are to be successful
Charlie Jagadish from India: What do you think, is the single biggest reason, for Australia's continued amazing success in the last year?
Dav Well I believe that it can be traced back to the competitiveness of the Sheffield Shield tournament. Having played shield cricket myself I can tell you that every game is played with the intensity of a test match. Therefore the players have to learn how to play under pressure and stress. Younger players are also given all kinds of valuable information and support from their advanced coaching and development system. With these tools they can become really consistent.
Charlie How does domestic cricket in SL compare to that in Australia?
Dav I think the Australian is the best in the world because of its intensity. They are only a few first class games for each state per season. Here in SL there are more games and I feel that the level of competitiveness is not quite as intense. They are some clubs that are considerably below the playing ability of others. Thus, exceptional performances do not necessarily mean the player is ready for the next step. It's a problem for the selectors who have to identify the true value of the player's ability and judge whether they are good enough to go on and play for the SL team.
Charlie Farhan from Pakistan: I'd like to know what basically is the meaning of coaching a team. I mean the players, which are in team, are already world-class players, so how come they require coaching?
Dav Fair question. You will note that most international coaches would not involve themselves too much with technical aspects of the players. Most players, when they make it to that level, have done so because they are technically sound. A coach should be able to provide feedback to the player and ensure that there is a healthy environment within the group. There are many other aspects to being a good coach, but I feel that these two are the most important.
Charlie John from England: Dav, when you are watching a batsman for the first time, what are the things you look at, to identify whether he or she has the potential to play international cricket?
Dav I watch the feet. If they move into position quickly it is an early indication that player has time to execute his shots. This sport is a read and react game and so the ability to assess length as early as possible is vital.
Charlie Dav, did you move your feet into position early?
Dav I tried to! (laughing)I had a reasonable eye and was more successful when I learnt to play well off the back foot. You need this skill at the top level. If you can't play off the back foot and attack then you are going to struggle.
Charlie Mr Jagadish from India: Do you regret not having been more successful with your playing career? Or do you believe that not being extremely successful, as a player, has contributed towards being a better coach?
Dav Both really. From a personal view I would have loved to have had played more. I had the ability but lacked the mental toughness needed at the highest level. However, that meant that I know what is needed to succeed at international level and how to pass that on to other players. So my relative failure as a player has helped me with my coaching.
Charlie Azi from Pakistan: Which teams would you rate as the top 3 teams in the world?
Dav> My personal view is similar to the present rankings on cable television. Australia is number one in both test matches and one-day internationals. South Africa is the second and we are the third in the test rankings. I agree with that.
Charlie Do England have any chance when they come to Sri Lanka?
Dav Any team has a chance. We have seen a marked improvement in the English team in the last eight months. They played well against West Indies and Zimbabwe and have had encouraging start against the Pakistani's. The SL team must be careful not to take them lightly. This won't happen. Given the chance to play against the old enemy, I am sure that our guys will perform in a positive manner (confidant smile).
Charlie Which of the English batsmen do you fear most?
Dav I think the English batting is vastly improved. They have a nice blend of youth and experience. Atherton is the man they look to play around and a key player because he can bat for a long time. Trescothik looks impressive, Stewart is dangerous, Thorpe looks like he is back to his best and I have been impressed with Flintoff.
Charlie Going back to the SA tour, can you give us a prediction for the final series score?
Dav If I had a crystal ball that would be easy! The test matches will be very hard. There is a chance for draws with the pitches being so good. When they played in SL it was one-one and I think it will be even again. I reckon the difference might just be one match.
Charlie Dav, that's all the time we have. Thank-you for your time and good luck in SA
Dav Thanks Charlie