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Here before Australia and India arrive

Sri Lanka successfully secured the final release of Dav Whatmore from English county Lancashire yesterday.

News reaching us from England confirms that Whatmore will be released from his position as coach of the county by the end of July, thus making him available for Sri Lanka's home Test series against Australia and the one-day triangular that precedes it.

Australia are due in Sri Lanka on August 16 to contest the one-day triangular against India and the host country from August 22-31. The three-Test series concludes on October 3.

It is reliably understood the decision to release Whatmore was taken at the Lancashire executive committee meeting held yesterday.

Following the disastrous showing by our cricketers in defending the World Cup in England, the Interim Committee of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board took the decision to approach Whatmore and ask him to take over as coach of the national side.

The talks which took place shortly before the International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting in London last month proved fruitful and, the only thing that hung in the balance was when the county would be able to release Whatmore.

Now that Lancashire has decided to finally release him, Whatmore is expected to take over his three-year contract with Sri Lanka by August 1.

The former Sri Lankan-born Australian Test cricketer shot into prominence after coaching Sri Lanka to lift the World Cup in 1996. But shortly afterwards he was forced to quit and join Lancashire as their coach.

Lancashire enjoyed their best season last year under Whatmore's coaching winning three one-day titles and being runner-up to Leicestershire in the county championships. He was voted the best coach for 1998 in a poll held by 'Wisden Cricket Monthly'.

Such was the impression created by Whatmore, that he was on the short list of candidates to succeed David Lloyd as England coach. The job finally went to former Zimbabwe cricketer Duncan Fletcher.

One of the few cricketers to benefit from Whatmore's presence at Lancashire is Muthiah Muralitharan.

The ace Sri Lankan off-spinner has been creating havoc amongst the county batsmen so much, that in three first-class county matches to-date he has captured 37 wickets.

Muralitharan, is on a one-year contract with the county and has shown interest in renewing it for next season. On current form that won't be a problem. He is expected to return home shortly to prepare for the Australian series.