Patil to replace Whatmore as NCA Director

Former India batsman Sandeep Patil will take over as Director of Cricket Operations of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Bangalore, replacing Dav Whatmore who resigned from the post recently.

Patil, a member of the 1993 World Cup winning squad, will take over charge with effect from November 1, a BCCI release said on Wednesday.

The 55-year-old Whatmore, a former Australian batsman who took over charge as NCA Director of Operations two years back, is widely believed to succeed John Buchanan as the coach of Kolkata Knight Riders after putting down his papers a couple of days ago, although an official announcement in this regard is still awaited.

The Knight Riders have been looking for a coach since sacking Buchanan after the Kolkata side's disastrous outing in the second edition of the Indian Premier League in South Africa.

Whatmore, who enjoyed a short stint as a player with Australia, is more renowned for his coaching abilities rather than his cricketing skills. He coached Sri Lanka to the 1996 World Cup title and then India to their under-19 World Cup triumph in Kuala Lumpur last year.