Whatmore out to show he's more than a bit part

Most people thought he was in with a decent shout of landing the coach's job and the ECB were apparently so keen to greet him that one of their now former executives hailed Duncan Fletcher with a cheery 'Hello Dav'.

Who knows what the next few years would have brought, and where English cricket would be now, if the Board had gone for Whatmore rather than Fletcher?

But the coach who didn't get the job maintains it was never a real contest.

"On the surface it might have looked like a close race," says Whatmore. "But I'm sure the outcome was a foregone conclusion.

"I think it was always going to be Duncan and they just needed a few other names on the list, like mine, to make a proper procedure of it all."

If that sounds a little bitter, Whatmore is quick to declare otherwise. There are no regrets, he says, and no 'what might have beens'.

"I think Duncan is a good coach and England have made good progress," says Whatmore.

"The problem in England is separating those players who do well on the county circuit from those who can do well at the next stage up. And that has been happening.

"On top of that, there seems to be a much greater sense of belonging to 'Team England' whereas the impression used to be that you had people from different counties coming together every so often to play for England."

Having spent two-and-a-half seasons with Lancashire - the third, in 1999, was cut short when he announced he would be rejoining Sri Lanka - Whatmore is now going over a lot of already trodden ground.

"The weather, the players, the venues, the motorways, the hotels and a lot of the people are all familiar," he adds. "I've been looking forward to renewing acquaintances."

It is 'Team Bangladesh', though, that occupies the vast majority of Whatmore's thoughts.

Having coached the best side in the world - which Sri Lanka undeniably were for a time when it came to oneday cricket - he's now in charge of the worst.

True, Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe a few months ago. But that was a Zimbabwe outfit without any of the rebel players, like Heath Streak, who have now returned to the fold, and it is not easy to see where the second victory is coming from.

"The job does have it's frustrations, of course it does," says Whatmore, who has recently signed a new twoyear contract but sensibly inserted a get-out clause should India come searching for him.

"But it is exciting as well, especially when you see some of these youngsters actually believing in themselves and showing a few of the others what can be achieved. There's no point hiding away from the fact that other teams will be the favourites and they'll have their stars.

"But we are talking about pulling a team up that's ranked down the bottom to as high as we can go. What we've got to do is play competitive cricket for longer periods. We can play some extremely good cricket for a time, but we have to extend that time."

Whatmore was born in Sri Lanka 51 years ago but made his seven Test appearances, as a batsman, for Australia.

Trying to help Bangladesh make a decent impression, starting at Lord's this week, is what matters to him now, however.

"People say we're on a hiding to nothing coming here in May, playing in these conditions and against a good side," he says.

"But hopefully we can surprise a few along the way because there's no question we have some players of real talent.

"It's vital we make an impression." The impression they created last week against what was almost a Sussex 2nd XI is the last thing Bangladesh cricket needs right now. Losing by an innings and 226 runs merely supported the view they would struggle to beat a minor county, never mind a 'proper' Test country.

Perhaps Lord's, with all it's history and unique atmosphere, will lift them. But, unlike when he went there in 1999, Whatmore knows he has a job on his hands this time.