UAE too 'hot' for Pakistan to host Australia series in August

The Pakistan Cricket Board is looking for an ideal venue to stage a five-match one-day international. It also confirms appointment of Dav Whatmore as coach from March.

Dav Whatmore, centre, who will take over as Pakistan coach in March, has had plenty of success at the helm of Asian teams.

Pakistan are looking for a suitable venue to stage their one-day series against Australia later this year, an official said on Saturday.

Pakistan have played their home series at the neutral venues of UAE, New Zealand and England since international cricket was halted in their country after the deadly attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in 2009.

Australia have not toured Pakistan since 1998, and their series with Pakistan have been played in Sri Lanka and Sharjah (2002) and in England in 2010.

They have five one-day matches scheduled for August this year and Subhan Ahmad, the chief operating officer of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), said three venues are under consideration.

"We are looking out for a suitable venue for the five one-dayers against Australia, as it would be very hot to play in the UAE in mid-August," Ahmad told Agence France-Presse.

He said South Africa, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are the options the PCB is considering.

By then, Dav Whatmore will be the coach of Pakistan, according to Intikhab Alam said.

Alam, a former player and coach, chaired a committee put together by the PCB to find a new man after Waqar Younis quit last year.

Pakistan have been in impressive form under the interim boss Mohsin Khan, recently inflicting a whitewash on top-ranked England in a Test series in the UAE.

However, it was always assumed that Whatmore, an Australian, had been chosen by the board as the permanent coach.

Alam told PakPassion.net: "Dav Whatmore will arrive in early March to sign his contract.

"I can't give you the exact date yet as that has not been verified, but everything is in place for him to take over, with his first assignment being the Asia Cup in Bangladesh. Whatmore has a proven record [with the World Cup-winning Sri Lankan side in 1996] and I feel that his appointment will be an exciting one.

"I feel that Whatmore will add more professionalism to an already improving team and will take this team to greater heights."

Meanwhile, PCB plans to question Mohammad Amir, the banned paceman, following his return home on Sunday from Britain after serving a jail sentence.

Amir, 19, was released from prison this month after serving a three-month sentence for his role in a spot-fixing scandal during the 2010 Test against England at Lord's. He was banned for five years by the International Cricket Council.

"Obviously, we will be meeting him to find out the root cause of the spot-fixing issue in Pakistan cricket," Ahmad told Reuters.